The Falcons selected the second quarterback in the 2022 NFL draft with the 74th pick on Friday night when they chose Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder.
Following his selection by Atlanta, Ridder was confident about his future in the NFL, to say the least.
“They’re going to get everything out of me,” Ridder said on ABC’s draft show. “A Super Bowl out of me… I’m not leaving until I get a Super Bowl.”
The Falcons are one of 12 NFL teams who have not yet won a Super Bowl ring. The team has made two Super Bowl appearances, with their last coming in 2017 when they famously blew a 28–3 lead to the Patriots.
Now, the Falcons enter a new quarterback era with Ridder after Matt Ryan left the team after 14 seasons this year to join the Colts. Atlanta received a third round pick for the veteran quarterback, which the team used eight spots after selecting his potential replacement to take Western Kentucky linebacker DeAngelo Malone at No. 82.
The 22-year-old could be the next Falcons rookie quarterback to stay for a decade plus, and he could even capture the team’s first Super Bowl ring, like he says. There is no guarantee that Atlanta uses him in 2022, however, as the team signed veteran Marcus Mariota to a two-year deal in March.
Ridder helped Cincinnati to the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff last season, ultimately losing to No. 1 Alabama in the Cotton Bowl.
In his four years at Cincinnati, Ridder threw over 2,000 yards each season with his best season coming in 2021, when he finished with 3,334 yards and 30 touchdowns, completing 64.9% of his attempts on the year. In his collegiate career, Ridder finished with 10,239 passing yards.
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