Winner: Desmond Ridder, QB, Atlanta Falcons
After a few months of the media destroying the Atlanta Falcons for not pursuing Lamar Jackson and the head coach, general manager, and owner stating their trust in second-year QB Desmond Ridder, the Falcons backed up their trust in Ridder with the selections they made in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Perhaps no one was a bigger winner than Ridder, he not only had his job as the starting quarterback secured but he also picked up a dangerous weapon in Bijan Robinson and a talented, presumed starting left guard in Matthew Bergeron—all in the first two rounds.
While having a starting job applies a lot of pressure, the Falcons took a little off by using their first two picks on their offense. Desmond Ridder should be feeling better than ever going into his second season.