It took a long time for the first quarterback to be taken in the 2022 NFL Draft. The wait was even longer for the second signal-caller to go off the board.
Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett was the 20th overall selection, the latest first quarterback selected in 25 years. No quarterback was taken for the remainder of the first round and surprisingly, none heard their name called in the second round. Finally, with the 10th pick of the fourth round and 74th overall selection, the Atlanta Falcons chose Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder.
NFL fans had a strong — generally positive — reaction to the selection.
I’m good with this!!! Liked Ridder for the last 2 years!!! Now we we can go crazy the rest of the draft!!! https://t.co/BE3jKQcJxQ
— James Hellams (@Jamieh711) April 30, 2022
Desmond Ridder to the #Falcons at 74 is great value. #DirtyBirds pic.twitter.com/cKBbUDptqQ
— 𝑺𝒄𝒐𝒕𝒕 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒌 🐦⬛🏈🇬🇪🇺🇦🇱🇻 (@CarasikS) April 30, 2022
Happy now @waddaname777 https://t.co/8lrrjQFqLk
— droptopvante (@DPrayor) April 30, 2022
Great pick… https://t.co/Kh6xpV1L9v
— Kirkley Sports Korner 🇺🇸 (@makirkley) April 30, 2022
My comparison for Desmond Ridder was Ryan Tannehill…a player Arthur Smith had some success with.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) April 30, 2022
Desmond Ridder going to an excellent situation in Atlanta, in terms of scheme and set-up to learn and develop. He will have a chance to compete for the starting job as Marcus Mariota said he hasn’t been guaranteed anything but rushing him likely won’t be part of the plan.
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) April 30, 2022
That’s a really good landing spot for Desmond Ridder… will be a good fit for Smith’s offense and with Mariota unproven there’s a clear path to potentially starting sooner than later.
— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) April 30, 2022
Ridder completed 62.4% of his passes for Cincinnati during the 2021 season. He threw for 2,445 yards with 20 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 146.4 passer rating (101.56 with the NFL formula). He was also a force in the running game, rushing for 355 yards with six touchdowns. The Bearcats also went undefeated during the regular season and reached the College Football Playoff, where they lost to Alabama 27-6 in the semifinals.
While third-round quarterbacks are often project picks, Ridder should have the opportunity to compete for a spot immediately. The Falcons traded longtime quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts in the offseason. Prior to drafting Ridder, Atlanta’s quarterbacks were Marcus Mariota and Feleipe Franks.
Expect Mariota to head into training camp as the starting quarterback. But if Ridder plays well there, it won’t be long before he’s under center in Atlanta.
