20/20: Calvin Ridley

Justin Bales

Welcome to the 20/20 series. As part of our continued Dynasty Scouts coverage and in preparation for the NFL Combine, we will be profiling 20 of the top incoming rookies of the class of 2018 by giving you 20 facts you must know.

1.) Player Name – Calvin Ridley

2.) College – Alabama

3.) Height/Weight – 6’1”, 190 lbs.

4.) Birthdate – December 20, 1994 (23 years old)

5.) Class – Junior

6.) Basic college stats – Ridley posted elite numbers as a true freshman with a pocket passer leading the team in Jake Coker. He recorded 89 receptions for 1,045 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games that season. He saw his numbers dip in his last two seasons with Jalen Hurts taking over as the starting quarterback, though. In his sophomore and junior campaigns, he totaled 135 receptions for 1,736 yards and 12 touchdowns in 29 games. However, he was able to post his highest yards per reception (15.3) as a junior.

7.) NFL Draft round projection – Similarly to all of the receivers in this draft, Ridley’s current value is a bit up in the air. He is the favorite to go eighth overall to the Chicago Bears if they decide to take a wideout. He likely will not slide out of the first round, although it is not completely out of the question that he could fall into the second. Most likely, Ridley will be an early to mid-first round pick.

[am4show have=’g1;’ guest_error=’sub_message’ user_error=’sub_message’ ]

8.) Current NFL comparison – Amari Cooper. This is somewhat of an easy comparison to make, but that does not mean it is wrong. They are both faster receivers who also possess tremendous quickness. Cooper is a bit bigger than Ridley at this point, but Ridley has the potential to add weight to his frame. They are also both great route runners, which comes from what they were asked to do during their time at Alabama. Ridley is essentially a thinner version of Cooper at this point in his career.

9.) Best possible destination – Chicago Bears. If you read my article on Christian Kirk, you know that I feel the Bears have an up-and-coming offense. Ridley has the skillset to immediately start in the NFL, and he will likely turn into a number one receiver throughout his career. He could take pressure off Mitch Trubisky and the other receivers in Chicago, as he would immediately become the focal point of the offense. This would also allow him to be peppered with targets early in his career, helping him gain confidence.

10.) Worst possible destination – Jacksonville Jaguars. There is very little certainty surrounding the Jaguars offense. The only thing we know is that they will be a run-first team. Last season, Marqise Lee led the team with only 96 targets. Furthermore, Blake Bortles completed only 60.2% of his passes, resulting in Lee leading the team with 56 receptions. There are reports that Allen Robinson will have the franchise tag used on him this off-season, suggesting Ridley would be the number two receiver next year. There simply are not enough targets to go around for two elite fantasy receivers in Jacksonville.

11.) Best current skill – Route running. Ridley is capable of elite route running, as he was forced to utilize the entire route tree at Alabama. He uses tremendous speed to beat cornerbacks on deep balls while using his quickness during short and intermediate routes. Ridley also uses subtle movements in his routes to manipulate safeties and cornerbacks in off coverage. He is arguably the best route runner in the draft this year, and he should have no problem learning the NFL route tree in a short amount of time.

12.) Skill that needs to be improved – Strength. Ridley has a thin build, at only 190 pounds at this point in his career. This allows him to be easily moved by stronger cornerbacks during his routes. It has also hurt him in press coverage, as he struggles to get off the line against more physical cornerbacks. Surprisingly, there are some scouts that do not believe Ridley is capable of adding much weight or muscle to his frame, which is a major concern.

13.) Past/current rookie ADP – Ridley’s ADP in the DLF February Rookie Mock Drafts was 7.1. He was selected between four and 12 in every mock draft. His ADP currently sits between Nick Chubb and James Washington. Ridley is being selected as the second overall wide receiver, behind only Courtland Sutton

14.) Projected dynasty value – Ridley’s dynasty value is likely as high as it is going to be. He has consistently been projected to the Chicago Bears with the eighth overall pick, and there is not much room for him to improve his projected stock. There is potential that he could be selected onto a team like the Green Bay Packers, which would increase his stock. Outside of his future location, Ridley has no real way to improve his fantasy stock until his on-field performance as a rookie.

15.) Age – Ridley is entering the draft as an older receiver, even though he is only a junior. This comes as a concern, as there have been articles that suggest the older a receiver is when they are drafted, the lower their chances of success are. There have been some people that suggest receivers that are older than 22 have little-to-no chance at success in the NFL. While each player is an individual and there have been exceptions, Ridley’s age should cause some worry.

16.) Quarterback play – Ridley played only one season with an efficient pocket passer at quarterback, posting his best numbers as a freshman. After that season, Ridley was seen as an elite prospect. Those expectations have been lowered after struggling with Jalen Hurts at quarterback for two seasons. Ridley should benefit from the higher efficiency of an NFL-caliber quarterback.

17.) College experience – Alabama found plenty of success throughout Ridley’s three years in college, allowing him to play a few more games than most prospects. He also has been healthy throughout his entire career, resulting in him missing zero games. Overall, Ridley needed only three seasons to play 44 total games. He also proved that he will not be slowed down by the rigors of the NFL season. Ridley has played 15 games in two of his three seasons, suggesting that he will be able to play each of the 16 games in the NFL without hitting a rookie wall.

18.) Elite high school recruit – Ridley was a five-star recruit coming out of high school in 2015. He was also the number one wide receiver in that class, beating out Deon Cain, Christian Kirk, and Equanimeous St. Brown, among others. Overall, Ridley was the 12th overall recruit in that class, and he did not disappoint throughout his collegiate career.

19.) SEC success – Ridley found plenty of success against top SEC defenses. He was named to the All-SEC team in each of his three seasons, totaling 224 receptions for 2,781 yards and 19 touchdowns in 44 games. The SEC is seen as one of the most difficult conferences to play in, making this feat significantly more impressive.

20.) Bloodline – Ridley does not necessarily have much family success before him, but it seems as if his family is destined for the NFL. He has a brother, Riley, who currently plays for the Georgia Bulldogs. Riley enjoyed his breakout game in the NCAA Championship, recording six receptions for 82 yards. While Calvin is the better of the two brothers, it is always good to see that athleticism and NFL potential runs through family blood.

[/am4show]