Desmond Ridder Scouting Report/Desmond Ridder Draft Profile

 

Matthew Lewis

 

Quarterback, Cincinnati Bearcats, #9

 

Measurements

6′ 4″ / 215 lbs

 

Desmond Ridder Draft Profile

Desmond Ridder is a former 3-star recruit out of St. Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky. According to MaxPreps, Ridder threw for a total of 1,825 yards and completed 161 out of 299 passes in only 20 career games played. I know these stats aren’t eye popping NFL numbers. However, during his senior he rushed for 879 yards on 118 carries for 16 touchdowns.

According to ESPN, as a freshman at the University of Cincinnati, he led the Bearcats to a 10-2 regular season record. Ridder threw for 2,359 yards and completed 62.5% of his passes while throwing 19 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He also ran the ball 149 times for a total of 563 yards and five touchdowns.

His best season so far was his junior year. Ridder led the team to a perfect 8-0 regular season record. During this season he threw for 2,296 yards with 186 completions out of 281 attempts with 19 touchdowns. During that same season, he ran the ball 98 times and rushed for 592 yards and 12 touchdowns.

 

Strengths

 

Mobility

Desmond Ridder is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation. His ability to keep the defense on their toes is something NFL scouts love to see from a college quarterback. As mentioned in his player profile, during the 2020 season he rushed for a total of 592 yards and 12 touchdowns. When a quarterback of his caliber can rush for that many touchdowns while still throwing 19, it is very obvious that he has the potential to be something special.

His ability to keep the play alive when he leaves the pocket makes Ridder one of the top quarterbacks in the nation. When watching the Cincinnati vs UCF, he did a fantastic job of making plays outside of the pocket when necessary. About halfway through the 3^rd quarter, UC were on the 21-yard line and the pocket immediately collapsed on Ridder. He found a gap in the middle of the offensive line and ran for 20 yards.

Quick Release

Desmond Ridder has an absolute cannon for an arm. His ability to get the ball to the receiver in the blink of an eye is what makes him so special. In their game against Houston last season, Ridder did a fantastic job of moving the chains on every drive by throwing short passes. Not only will his throwing velocity wow you, his accuracy on these short throws is just as impressive. He throws the ball where the receiver should be instead of where they are. This is something you want to see from your starting QB, because he will rarely throw the ball behind the receiver.

Throwing on the run

As mentioned earlier, Ridders mobility is what sets him apart from a lot of quarterbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft. What I think makes him even more special is the ability to complete a pass while on the run. When Ridder is outside of the pocket, he is able to keep the defense guessing because he can either throw the ball while on the move or tuck the ball and run.

Weaknesses

Accuracy

Desmond Ridder’s accuracy has a tendency to be a little shaky from time to time. When watching the UC vs. Houston game in 2020, I realized that at times he had a tendency to overthrow the ball in the open field. This is something you cannot do when you are in the NFL. If the opposing team knows that you have a tendency to overthrow the ball on deep routes, they will just drop their safeties back into deep coverage. With this being said, after a year or so in the NFL Ridder’s accuracy will improve and he will develop into an elite dual-threat QB.

Slow Starter

When watching film on Ridder, I realized that he has a tendency to start out the game pretty inefficiently. He just put this on display against Indiana Saturday. Ridder got off to a very slow start by not scoring a single touchdown  in the first quarter, instead he threw an interception. This mistake eventually led to Indiana driving down the field and scoring a touchdown. This drought for Ridder continued throughout the entire first half with the only points on the board coming from Jerome Ford and Cole Smith. Once halftime finished, Ridder was able to turn it around and lead UC to a 38-24 victory while throwing one touchdown and adding another with his legs. If Ridder wants to be successful in the NFL, he needs to improve upon this. If you start out slow at the next level it could cost you the game.

Desmond Ridder Draft Stock

In my opinion, Ridder’s draft stock is very high and if he keeps playing the way he has been, it will keep rising. When ranking all of the quarterbacks that are available in the 2022 NFL Draft, I would easily put Ridder in the top 3. I rank him this high because even though his accuracy is questionable from time to time, he has a very high ceiling.

If the draft were to start tomorrow, and I had a late 1^st round pick, I would contemplate taking Ridder. Although Ridder is a pretty raw talent, I can see him getting drafted by a team who will need a QB1 in about a year or so. One of our analysts mocked him even earlier in this mock draft. A team that comes to mind is the Pittsburgh Steelers, because Big Ben won’t be in the league much longer and they will need a QB when he retires.

Final Thoughts

Desmond Ridder has all of the physical tools to make it in the NFL. His mobility is what makes him a very special talent, but that is far from the only thing he has to offer. With Ridder’s blend of speed, size and arm strength he has what it takes to be a top QB in the NFL down the line. With all of this being said, I hope Ridder gets drafted by a team who will let him play the game his way, while working to improve his accuracy deep down the field. As mentioned earlier, I think the Steelers would be a fantastic fit for him because he can sit behind Big Ben for a few years and perfect his craft.