2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: John Ridgeway

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John Ridgeway, 6-5/321 Defensive Tackle Arkansas

John Ridgeway Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Very physical

Tough as nails

Good motor

Strong hands

Strength to work off blocks

Disciplined

Good length

Excellent fit as a five-technique in a 3-4

Weaknesses:

Too tall for nose tackle

Doesn’t anchor well

Lacks pass-rush ability to be a three-technique

Lacks speed as an edge rusher

Needs more pass-rushing moves

Could be solid pro, but not very productive, as a pass rusher

Summary: Arkansas was a tough team in 2021, making some noise in the SEC. Ridgeway was one of the team’s best defensive player on the season, totaling 39 tackles with two sacks.

In the pass rush, Ridgeway is a physical defender who has heavy hands to shed blocks and break free when he gets upfield. He is more athletic than his size suggests, and he shows some reaction ability to adjust. Ridgeway could still use more pass-rushing moves for the next level. With his size and strength, it would be ideal to see him add a club or rip move.



Ridgeway is a mauler of a run defender, fighting at the line of scrimmage. He has quality length and size, and he plays hard. With his heavy hands, Ridgeway is adept at shedding blocks quickly, and he then uses his quickness to chase down backs. Ridgeway doesn’t anchor well, however, and is not tough for strong guards to move.

Some NFL team sources say Ridgeway is too tall to play nose tackle and doesn’t anchor well enough. Hence, they think he is a large defensive end. That would make his best fit as a five-technique defensive end in a 3-4 defense. In the 2022 NFL Draft, Ridgway could go as high as the third round and probably won’t slide out of the early rounds of Day 3.



Player Comparison: Red Bryant. Team sources say that Red Bryant is a player who comes to mind when watching Ridgeway. Bryant (6-4, 323) was a massive defensive end, and Ridgeway could be a similar style defender in the NFL.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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