In the days leading up to the 2022 NFL draft, a common pairing was quarterback Desmond Ridder, and the Atlanta Falcons.
In fact, in my final, predictive mock draft before the real thing, I had Atlanta trading back into the first round out of the 43rd spot to draft Ridder at 25 overall.
Those of us who made this connection had the pairing right, but not when it would take place. Ridder did get the call from the Falcons, but not until the third round.
Now that he is headed to Atlanta, why did so many of us make this connection? Why did head coach Arthur Smith place this bet on Ridder?
Let’s dive in.