Calvin Ridley has the look of a 1st round receiver.
Calvin Ridley is an athletic receiver who has the speed and acceleration that teams covet. His speed will make him a good yards after catch receiver. He has good body control and can make the toe drag catch. His speed translates into a good route runner as well. At Alabama, he has been a deep threat using his speed and acceleration to beat defenders over the top. He also has the body control to find the ball and flip his body if the ball is coming the other way. I see him as a good fit in the slot for any team, but I don’t think you would have to take him off the field with two receiver sets. He is a smart player who can improvise his routes. He also uses his athleticism to open up his catch radius. His speed can be used for screens as well as jet sweeps, something Alabama does a lot.
Its hard to find a lot of holes in Ridley’s game. There is a fear that his success is a bit inflated by the talent he has around him. This may not expose his weaknesses. Also, he is not much of a blocker. I wouldn’t expect him to make much way for your running backs.
Ridley is an athletic receiver who will beat you with his speed, acceleration, and route running. He isn’t overly tall, but his height is enough that it isn’t a problem. I don’t see a lot of holes in his game, and so I think he is a surefire first rounder. He will probably be more in the mold of an Antonio Brown type as opposed to a Julio Jones type because of his height. I wouldn’t be surprised if he became a top ten pick or at least the first receiver off the board in the 2018 draft.
