NFL Draft 2022: Here's why Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder could be the first QB selected

Blake Bortles was the last non-Power Five quarterback taken first at his position in the 2014 draft

When the 2022 NFL Draft commences in a little over two weeks, fans will be watching to see where the first quarterback is taken. In several projections, the first one comes off the board at No. 6 overall to the Carolina Panthers and the choice is almost always Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett or Liberty's Malik Willis. What if the Panthers pass on the position? It could open the door for Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder to be the first quarterback taken and many happy gamblers would be cashing +3000 tickets at Caesars Sportsbook (as of the morning on April 12).

The Louisville native has been overlooked and doubted throughout his playing career. He was honorable mention on one publication's all-state Kentucky high school football team during his senior season before going on to play in the American Athletic Conference. When his time in Ohio's queen city had come to an end, Ridder had amassed more touchdowns than any other player in AAC history (116), more yardage (12,419) and led his team over the hurdle of national perception into the College Football Playoff. The Bearcats more than held their own against Alabama on the back of its calm, poised leader. 

During his four years of starting experience, Ridder welcomed a child to the world and witnessed a life-altering global pandemic. The shock of going from big man on campus to leader of grown men in a locker room is going to be less felt by the maturity of Ridder than it may by others. Is that to say he is a flawless player? Certainly not.

His arm strength is not as impressive as Willis'. His footwork in the pocket has improved from 2020 and even the start of 2021, but there is still a ways to go before it is committed to muscle memory. His accuracy -- specifically on deep throws -- and ball placement have been inconsistent. While he ran well at the NFL combine (4.52 seconds in the 40-yard dash), it really does not rear its head often on film. Ridder needs to show better ball security and overall better decision-making.

However, Ridder possesses good size at 6-foot-3, 207 pounds. He does show great pocket awareness and an ability to move around while keeping his eyes fixated downfield. His 40-yard dash time suggests that there is opportunity for him to escape the pocket and make chunk plays with his legs. The senior has shown the ability to make whole field reads and does enough with his eyes to lure defenses into a false sense of security. 

Ridder's stock will ultimately be determined by how comfortable teams are with the accuracy standpoint. Some believe his inaccurate attempts are tied to poor footwork and noted that he made progress at the Reese's Senior Bowl and the NFL combine. Others might counter that he was still struggling with it at his pro day. 

As for any of these quarterback prospects, teams are going to have to talk themselves into the player because all are saddled with a potentially fatal flaw. The reason to get excited about Ridder is that he has great athletic potential and a solid baseline of what it means to work through his progressions. He has not only been a leader, but has elevated his team to a level previously thought to be unattainable by a Group of Five school. 

The gap between quarterbacks in this class is negligible and that suggests the odds of Ridder being the first quarterback taken may be higher than it outwardly appears. The last time a non-Power Five quarterback was the first taken at his position was 2014 when the Jaguars made Blake Bortles the No. 3 overall selection.