The 2022 NFL Draft has been an interesting one for the quarterback prospects in the draft class.
There wasn’t one quarterback that stood out as a clear top option to be taken first, which led to only one quarterback being taken in the first two rounds of the draft.
The second quarterback taken was a bit of a surprise.
Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder was selected with the 74th overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons, going before fellow quarterbacks Malik Willis and Matt Corral.
Despite Ridder having an excellent career at Cincinnati, many draft experts saw other quarterback options as a better NFL fit.
That may have put a chip on Ridder’s shoulder, as he offered a bold prediction for how his career with the Falcons will turn out.
“They’re gonna get a Super Bowl out of me,” said Ridder.
Big promise from the Falcons newest addition 🗣 @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/v1EB3Dgp4a
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 30, 2022
Ridder has certainly defied the odds before, leading Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff in 2021. It was the first time that a non-Power Five conference team has ever made the College Football Playoff.
It is certainly a bold claim from a third-round draft pick to say that he will lead a team to a Super Bowl in the future.
We have seen success stories from players like Russell Wilson and Tom Brady becoming Super Bowl champions despite being drafted outside of the first round, but stories like these are few and far between.
It will be interesting to see what the Falcons do this season at the quarterback position. The team signed quarterback Marcus Mariota after parting ways with Matt Ryan this offseason.
Mariota can be a competent quarterback in the NFL, but it would not be shocking if things aren’t going well for the Falcons next year that we see Ridder sooner rather than later.
