It seems like every year there is one quarterback prospect whose stock skyrockets leading up to the draft, and Desmond Ridder might be that player in 2022.
There have been a lot of positive reports about Ridder over the past several days. One of those came from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who said Tuesday that teams have been buzzing about the former Cincinnati star in pre-draft meetings.
Desmond Ridder is a name that’s buzzing in league circles. During team interviews, the QB made clear he plans to beat out a veteran in camp.
That, and Malik Willis’ first-round positioning, from @SportsCenter pic.twitter.com/Tb6aMGwWsz
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 5, 2022
Cincinnati Bearcats At East Carolina Pirates 20
“I’m hearing a lot of positivity from teams I’ve talked to who believe he is rising in the process. … He’s just considered very polished,” Fowler said. “I talked to a team who interviewed Ridder who said he had a planned outline for how he was going to beat out a veteran in a training camp setting and become a starter in this league Year 1.”
One executive told Fowler that he envisions Ridder going somewhere in the late first or early second round. Most analysts expect Ridder to be taken after Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett and Matt Corral. If those QBs end up going early, Ridder has a real shot to be a first-round pick.
A prominent draft analyst named Ridder as his QB prospect with the most upside several months ago. One thing Ridder certainly has is experience. He was a four-year starter at Cincinnati and threw for 3,334 yards, 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season. In a QB class that is not viewed as very deep, he could easily creep up the board.
Photo: Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) throws a pass in the first half of the NCAA football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the East Carolina Pirates at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, NC, on Friday, Nov. 26, 2021
