3. Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati
Despite his terrific athletic testing at the 2022 NFL Combine, Desmond Ridder isn’t nearly as flashy as some of the other quarterbacks in this class. I think Ridder still has a lot to work on when it comes to his accuracy and I think his arm is just average for NFL standards. However, I also believe that Ridder might have the highest floor.
It’s hard to fake a 43-6 career record in college football — even on a non-Power Five team filled with NFL talent. Ridder simply finds a way to get the job done, and his teammates rave about his leadership skills.
Unlike Willis, Ridder was a good decision-maker in college and took great care of the football. He played more game-manager football than the other top QB prospects in this class, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Ridder is also might be the most pro-ready prospect in this class thanks to loads of starting experience. I don’t believe that Desmond Ridder has the same upside as Malik Willis or even Matt Corral, but he checks every box and has the potential to be a long-time NFL starter.