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Calvin Ridley is going to be one of the most-watched players heading into this season, thanks to missing the entire 2022 campaign due to a gambling suspension. The last time Ridley played on a football field was in October of 2021 -- so there was a lot to catch up on as he won't play in an actual game in nearly two years. 

The Jaguars expect Ridley to be their No. 1 wide receiver, and offensive coordinator Press Taylor believes Jacksonville is getting that version of Ridley thus far in OTAs. 

"I've been really impressed with Calvin. I've watched every snap Calvin's played in the NFL, just like a lot of our guys have. So we're very confident in the player we're getting," Taylor said Monday. "And then to be able to meet him in person, we've had a lot of people that vouched for him, obviously going back to when we acquired him, but the work he's put in this offseason has been impressive just in terms of meeting the extra work he does. And you can tell he is doing it because he comes in the next day, he's got his list of questions, and they're very thought-out. 

"You can tell he's peeked ahead of the install or just looking a couple of days ahead as we go on. So he's done a great job, just intermixing with the group and making his own role."  

Ridley is expected to be the top target amongst the wide receiver group that includes Christian Kirk and Zay Jones. Having Ridley on the outside allows Kirk to move into the slot for a majority of the snaps, a huge benefit for the Jaguars. Jacksonville also has Evan Engram -- coming off a record-breaking season for the franchise -- at tight end. 

Calvin Ridley
TEN • WR
TAR52
REC31
REC YDs281
REC TD2
FL0
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Ridley was the Atlanta Falcons' No. 1 receiver when Julio Jones was out with injuries in 2020, averaging 11.3 targets per game and 109.3 receiving yards per game -- a season which he finished with 90 catches for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging a career-high 15.3 yards per catch. He also finished fourth in the league in receiving yards per game (91.6).

Heading into the 2021 season, Ridley was just one of six players with 3,000 receiving yards and 25 receiving touchdowns since entering the league in 2018 -- joining Davante AdamsTravis KelceTyreek HillTyler Lockett, and Mike Evans in that category. His 26 receiving touchdowns ranked first amongst the 2018 draft class, and his 3,061 yards and 9.33 yards per target were only behind D.J. Moore

If the 2020 version of Ridley shows up, the Jaguars offense will be tough to stop.