The Atlanta Falcons have tried to fill the void across from Julio Jones ever since Roddy White’s departure. They may have finally achieved their goal after adding Alabama’s Calvin Ridley with the 26th overall pick.
We have taken @AlabamaFTBL WR Calvin Ridley with the 26th pick.
Welcome to the Brotherhood, @CalvinRidley1!#InBrotherhood pic.twitter.com/LUP8mxy8us
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 27, 2018
Ridley has the potential to be a day-one starter for an offense that finished eighth in net passing yards in a “down” year. He’s immediately worth a roster spot in all leagues, though his performance over the next few months will help decide whether he’s a low-end starter or an end-of-the-bench gamble.
Reasons to Get Excited
Ability to Immediately Contribute
Though Ridley wasn’t the first receiver selected, he was often listed as the top receiver in his class in various pre-draft rankings. He has shown a knack for running precise routes and getting open.
One of the best fits of the first round sees Calvin Ridley fall perfectly for the Atlanta Falcons #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/QhjCUT50dI
— PFF (@PFF) April 27, 2018
He has the speed to see a few deep targets as well. His 4.43 40-yard dash tied for sixth among wide receivers. If Ridley and Matt Ryan can develop chemistry quickly, there’s no question he’ll be a valuable part of Atlanta’s offense from the beginning.
Playing Opposite Julio Jones
Nearly seven years to the day after the Falcons drafted Jones out of Alabama in the first round, they’ve added another highly-rated receiver from the Crimson Tide. Ridley will look to become Atlanta’s first non-Jones 1,000-yard receiver since Harry Douglas in 2013.
One thing is for certain: Ridley isn’t going to get shadow coverage from the opposing team’s best corner and won’t see much extra coverage from safeties. Atlanta’s opponents will have to focus on stopping Jones first, leaving Ridley plenty of opportunities to make his mark from week to week.
Durability
Ridley played in all 44 of his games in three seasons at Alabama. He made 40 starts. That sort of durability should come in handy, especially with Jones suffering from chronic lower-leg injuries. Ridley should see some occasional increases in target volume if Jones is hobbled again.
Reasons to Pump the Brakes
Size
At 6-foot-1 and 189 pounds, Ridley is not a big receiver. As such, he isn’t quite as effective against press coverage. Bigger, more physical corners could shut him down until he puts on more muscle.
His combine numbers also called his jumping and explosiveness into question. This won’t matter as much if he’s open all the time, but route running alone won’t be enough to make him a fantasy standout as a rookie.
Hands
In his 44 games at Alabama, Ridley dropped 20 passes. Based on a 16-game schedule, that would be roughly 7.3 drops per year. Drop statistics tend to be subjective but, for the sake of comparison, seven drops in 2017 would have been among the worst in the NFL. That would likely affect Atlanta’s confidence in him.
Potentially Not Enough Targets
While the Falcons did lose Taylor Gabriel to the Bears, their second-best receiver in 2017, Mohamed Sanu, will be back. There’s no guarantee Ridley will automatically take over as Atlanta’s number-two option. He’ll also have to compete with Austin Hooper, Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman for targets.
The Falcons were 20th in the league in pass attempts in 2017. Their reputation as a passing team doesn’t necessarily mean Ridley will get plenty of opportunities.
Conclusion
Ridley is no doubt intriguing, much like Sterling Shepard was before his rookie year in 2016. Shepard, who was also highly-drafted and penciled in as a starter opposite Odell Beckham, would finish his rookie season as the 36th-ranked wide receiver in PPR leagues. That sounds like a fair projection for Ridley. He’s a WR4 at worst and should get some consideration as a WR3 in deeper leagues or a FLEX in PPR leagues.
