Calvin Ridley 2018 Outlook
The Falcons brought OC Steve Sarkisian, who had a disappointing first season in his position, a new weapon in this year’s draft when they nabbed Ridley. The selection made sense because last season there was a drastic drop in several key statistical areas under Sarkisian, who hadn't been in the NFL since 2005 and never was a full-time NFL play-caller. Along with inconsistent play from TE Austin Hooper, the Falcons missed the big-play ability of Taylor Gabriel, whose job was to make teams pay for double-teaming Julio Jones (as he did in 2016). That role will now shift to Ridley who played under Sarkisian for a time at Alabama. Although his production diminished over each of the last three seasons, Ridley entered the draft as one of the top wide receivers in the class and he worked both the slot and outside positions in Atlanta's initial rookie mini-camp. That said, his statistical ceiling could be limited as a rookie due to the presence of Jones, not to mention Mohamed Sanu and a pass-catching runner in Devonta Freeman. With a lot of mouths to feed, Ridley would be a surprise if he caught 50 passes in 2018. He's little more than a late rounder in most re-drafts.
