Ridder Drafted In Third Round By Falcons

Through two and a half rounds, just one quarterback was selected in the NFL Draft. Early in the third round Friday night, Desmond Ridder became the second, selected ahead of touted Liberty quarterback Malik Willis.

On Friday, Ridder was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with pick No. 74 pick in the third round

Ridder is the fifth Bearcats quarterback to be taken in the NFL. The last was Tony Pike, who was selected with pick No. 204 in the sixth round of the 2010 draft by the Carolina Panthers. Only Greg Cook was drafted higher, No. 5 in the 1969 draft by the Bengals.

Ridder was widely talked about heading into the draft as a likely first or second round selection. He's the fourth Cincinnati Bearcat selected in this draft. Cornerback Ahmad Gardner was selected in the first round by the New York Jets, while wide receiver Alec Pierce and safety Bryan Cook were both selected in the second round, by the Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs.

This past season, Ridder completed 251 of 387 passes for 3,334 yards and 30 touchdowns, all career-highs. He finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting and has 44 wins, the third-most wins by a quarterback in college football history. Ridder was a semifinalist this season for the Maxwell, Walter Camp Player of the Year and Davey O’Brien Awards. He was named the AAC Offensive Player of the Year for 2020 and 2021.

Ridder was a two-star prospect by Rivals.com in the 2017 recruiting class. The St. Xavier (Ky.) product had no other FBS offers. He was recruited by current Bengals coach Zac Taylor, who was on the Bearcats' staff.