39 QBs ranked ahead of Desmond Ridder by Chris Simms

The Atlanta Falcons upgraded just about every position on their roster over the course of the 2023 offseason, but the quarterback position is still a question mark in the minds of national analysts.

Desmond Ridder, a third-round pick in 2022, is entering the year as the top QB on Atlanta’s depth chart. The former Cincinnati standout started the final four games last season, throwing for 708 passing yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

The Falcons went 2-2 with Ridder under center, and despite head coach Arthur Smith saying he expects the second-year QB to “take the next step” this season, many are taking a wait-and-see approach before they buy in.

So where does Ridder land on Chris Simms’ top 40 quarterbacks going into the 2023 season? Dead last at No. 40. The QBs ranked ahead of Ridder include Sam Howell (No. 39), Bryce Young (No. 38), C.J. Stroud (No. 37) and Anthony Richardson (No. 36).

Chris Simms' 2023 Top 40 QB countdown is underway! #NFL

No. 36-40 to kick it off. 👀 pic.twitter.com/b2ooVsQwsY

— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) May 16, 2023

Considering Ridder’s lack of experience, it’s hard to argue against him being ranked near the bottom, but putting him below a bunch of guys who have yet to take an NFL snap is somewhat questionable. 

During an episode of the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast, Simms did say there was a lot to like about the Falcons QB, and that he saw improvement last season:

He’s on an upward trajectory. Some of the things that I saw that were an issues for me, they did get better. I talked about it a lot — there’s some mechanical issues that he had at Cincinnati where he doesn’t create the opposites between the upper and lower half like we talked about, turn your front shoulder — still not great at that, but it’s better. Had a very long, like elongated motion, it was kind of like a windmill in college. It’s still too long for a really awesome NFL quarterback, but it’s better, there’s no doubt about that. He definitely tightened it up and has an ability to get the ball out of his hands quicker on a consistent level, not even comparable to college.

As much as this ranking may frustrate Falcons fans who are used to feeling disrespected by the national media, it’s understandable for analysts to take a wait-and-see approach. 

Atlanta is clearly building a team that doesn’t need to rely on quarterback play to win games. The Falcons drafted running back Bijan Robinson and re-signed two key offensive linemen to massive contracts.

This will be a run-first offense, which actually sets Ridder up for success more so than some of the other first-year starters. Until analysts see it for themselves, though, Ridder will continue to be disrespected in rankings like these.