Tampa Bay's division rival drafts quarterback on day two

There's a new quarterback in the NFC South that will be competing with Tom Brady in 2022.

Nate Greer | Apr 29, 2022

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers division rival, the Atlanta Falcons, have drafted their quarterback of of the future in the third round of the NFL Draft, taking former Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder.

Ridder, a 6’3”, 211 pound signal-caller, had a phenomenal pre-draft process as he came into the draft as the second or third rated quarterback on the board, depending on who you listen to.

With the Falcons moving on from Matt Ryan and bringing in Marcus Mariota as a stopgap option, many experts predicted the franchise would take a quarterback at some point in the draft.

Ridder had a great senior season for the Bearcats as he led them to the NCAA College Playoffs. He was the conference's Offensive Player of the Year again in 2021 (251-of-387, 64.9%, 3,334 yards, 30 TDs, eight TDs; 110-365-3.3, six TDs rushing in 14 starts), and he nearly led Cincinnati to an upset win over eventual national champion Georgia.

The Falcons took Drake London in round 1, and now they pair him up with Ridder. Ridder is a smart quarterback - he is a creature of habit in his mechanics and he reads defenses very well. He’ll need to work on throwing off schedule and accuracy, but a big-bodied wideout like London should help his transition.

Getting Ridder in the third round is a steal, and the Falcons should be happy walking away from this draft landing a quarterback at great value.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the NFL Draft.

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Published Apr 29, 2022

NATE GREER