For the last decade, Julio Jones wasn’t just the Falcons’ best player, he was one of the faces of the National Football League. Atlanta shipped Jones to Tennessee in June and will move forward with Calvin Ridley as the No. 1 option at wide receiver.
Ridley had a breakout year in 2020, leading the team with 90 catches, 1,374 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Entering his fourth season, the former first-round pick out of Alabama hasn’t shied away from the pressure of replacing Jones. And while Ridley lacks the size and physicality of Jones, he’s quicker in space and better at getting behind NFL defenses at this point in his career than his former teammate. Not to mention, he has been money in the red zone — an area where Jones has struggled over the past few years.
So where does Ridley rank among the league’s best wideouts? Touchdown Wire has him listed as the No. 9 outside receiver in their positional ranking series. Mark Schofield gives a very thorough breakdown of what each receiver does well, highlighting the catch-and-run ability of Ridley.
“I am never a fan of relying on a single play to summarize an NFL player. But if I were force to pick just one to demonstrate what Calvin Ridley does as an NFL wideout, it would be this catch-and-run against the Kansas City Chiefs:
Facing press alignment, Ridley is able to cross the defender’s face off the line of scrimmage with incredible change-of-direction skills. He then is forced to throttle down and adjust to the throw from the quarterback, and as he does so he avoids a huge collision with the lurking free safety. From there, Ridley races ahead for a 54-yard gain.
Most impressive. But these are the kinds of plays that Ridley delivers.”
As for Jones, he was listed two spots ahead of Ridley at No. 7 on TD Wire’s list. Packers receiver Davante Adams is Schofield’s top receiver, with Arizona’s DeAndre Hopkins coming in second and Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill ranked third.
The Falcons also drafted tight end Kyle Pitts, who figures to line up out wide even more with Jones gone. Pitts’ upside is extremely exciting, but Ridley has a chance to elevate himself into the top five at his position with another good season in 2021.
[lawrence-related id=74815,74896,74905]
[vertical-gallery id=74817]