PFF gives harsh ranking to Falcons QB Desmond Ridder

Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder has gotten very little respect from the national media ever since being named the team’s starter going into the 2023 season.

Analysts have criticized Atlanta for not going after Lamar Jackson, plus Ridder has routinely been listed near the bottom of different quarterback rankings. NBC Sports’ Chris Simms recently ranked 39 other QBs ahead of Ridder.

However, Simms isn’t alone in his skepticism of the former third-round pick. Pro Football Focus is joining in on the Ridder slander by ranking him 31st of 32 starting quarterbacks in their new QB rankings:

There was little we saw from Ridder last season to suggest he will approach even average play at the position. Marcus Mariota played his way to the bench with his performances, and Ridder was simply the young quarterback in line for reps. He posted a 68.5% adjusted completion rate and had two turnover-worthy plays to three big-time throws. He also recorded just 136 dropbacks, so it would be a stretch to draw any concrete conclusions. – Sam Monson, PFF

While the numbers Ridder put up during his four games as a starter weren’t enough to really form an opinion either way, it’s odd to see multiple rookies ranked ahead of him.

Panthers QB Bryce Young was listed at No. 25 and Texans rookie C.J. Stroud was listed one spot ahead of Ridder at No. 30 in PFF’s rankings.

Perhaps even more bizarre is Commanders QB Sam Howell being ranked 27th despite playing less snaps and a finishing with a lower completion percentage than Ridder. Howell only saw action in Week 18 and his 168 passing yards were less than Ridder totaled in three of his four starts.

Falcons defensive end Calais Campbell talked up Atlanta’s QB at organized team activities Wednesday. Watch below, per FOX 5’s Justin Felder.

"It worked, obviously! It was a great tactic."
—
Before new defensive lineman Calais Campbell signed with the #Falcons, he wanted to hear more about their QB situation.
So Arthur Smith said, we'll do you one better, and popped in Desmond Ridder's film ⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/PwV8PrZK3i

— Justin Felder (@Justin_FOX5) May 24, 2023