3 Atlanta Falcons most likely to have a breakout season

2. Desmond Ridder

One of Atlanta’s few wins in what has been a bumpy off-season was landing Ridder in the third round. Headed into the draft no one outside of the front office themselves seemed to have any idea just how far the quarterbacks in this class were going to fall. Getting Ridder in the third round was a steal for a team that didn’t have to take a big risk to draft a quarterback.

Ridder can now compete with Mariota and will face little pressure from the front office or the fanbase. As a third-round pick Ridder has few expectations and is going to have to come in and unseat Mariota as the starter.

Ridder’s final season in college saw him lead his team to a playoff berth while throwing for 3,334-yards with 34-touchdowns to only 8-interceptions. Ridder completed 64.9-percent of his passes and add in impressive 355-rushing yards and 6-rushing touchdowns.

These numbers speak to his explosive athleticism and his ability. The more tape you watch on Ridder the more you wonder how he fell all the way to the third round? While expectation should still be low for a quarterback with plenty of bust potential we would be remiss not to consider his immense ceiling. One that could elevate Atlanta into a watchable team if Ridder is able to win the starting job and play to his talent level.