NFL QB Rankings: Where Does Falcons' Desmond Ridder Fit?

Desmond Ridder of the Atlanta Falcons was near the bottom of a new countdown of the 32 projected starting quarterbacks in the NFL.

If the Atlanta Falcons had a sure thing at quarterback, they would probably be the clear-cut favorites to win the wide-open NFC South. As is, second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder has a tremendous opportunity in front of him, as he'll get to lead a team with a ton of young skill-position talent in a division that no longer includes Tom Brady. 

Still, the brief glimpse we got into Ridder in 2022 was hardly enough to make an evaluation on him. And so, the Falcons quarterback checked in at No. 31 on our SI/FanNation ranking of the 32 projected starters for the 2023 season: 

"Ridder took over as starting quarterback for Marcus Mariota in the final month of his rookie season, but really wasn't asked to do much more than manage head coach Arthur Smith's offense.

"There's no doubt that Ridder will have more on his plate in 2023, but in an offense with running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts, the former third-round pick still probably won't be the focal point offensively for the Falcons." 

Atlanta went 2-2 in the four games that Ridder started, with the quarterback throwing for two touchdowns, two interceptions and 708 yards, hardly numbers that jump off the page. But Ridder was a decorated collegiate quarterback at the University of Cincinnati, whose intangibles were considered off-the-charts during the NFL Draft process. That doesn't necessarily mean he'll develop into a franchise quarterback, but there are things to like about the 24-year-old. 

And while all teams would love to have Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow or Josh Allen, this isn't a Falcons team that wants to throw the ball 50 times a game. As offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans, Smith reached an AFC Championship Game leaning on a superstar running back in Derrick Henry, and a play-action passing attack with Ryan Tannehill under center. Assuming Ridder is able to take care of the football, he could very well buy himself another season as the Falcons starter if Robinson, Allgeier, London, Pitts and Swiss Army knife Cordarrelle Patterson can take pressure off the quarterback. 

As mentioned, Ridder came in at No. 31, with Sam Howell of the Washington Commanders in the final spot on the countdown. None of the NFC South quarterbacks were rated especially high, as Derek Carr of the New Orleans Saints came in at No. 17, Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers was slotted at No. 25 and Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 26. 

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