Falcon Report

WATCH: Falcons Rookie Desmond Ridder Throws First NFL TD

Ridder was a third-round pick from Cincinnati.

Jeremy Brener

The rookie is on the board!

Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder threw his first NFL touchdown pass to tight end Parker Hesse in the second quarter of the team's preseason opener.

The 1-yard touchdown pass capped off a 7-play, 55-yard drive that saw Ridder go 3-4 for 30 yards.

The biggest play of the drive came just before the touchdown when he completed a 20-yard pass to former Lions wideout Geronimo Allison.

Ridder then completed a drive with a play-action pass as he found Hesse in the end zone.

Since the Falcons drafted Ridder in the third round of April's draft, there's been nothing but praise thrown his way from those inside the organization. Atlanta's fifth-round pick, running back Tyler Allgeier, dubbed Ridder "a genius" due to how quickly he mastered the playbook. Falcons assistant director of college scouting Dwaune Jones said the franchise "fell in love" with Ridder as a person.

When Ridder hits the field this season, all eyes will be on him, with the Falcons needing nothing more than for him to be the team's long-term solution at quarterback. Atlanta's defense is expected to improve from a season ago, with the secondary and pass rush in particular having intriguing pieces.

Nevertheless, he'll enter his first season in the NFL with a chance to prove he belongs on the field, and that the rest of the league made a mistake letting him fall, as he expressed on draft night.

The Falcons lead 14-10 late in the second quarter.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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