Indianapolis — The most-winning quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft class thinks he should be the first signal-caller selected next month.
Desmond Ridder went 44-6 during his four years as a starter for the Cincinnati Bearcats. He has been pitched as a second-round pick, but he argued Wednesday that he is the most NFL-ready of any quarterback.
"I think I'm most prepared, both mentally and athletically," he said.
The Ridder's 44 wins are the third-largest in FBS history, behind only Colt McCoy and Kellen Moore, and he led the Bearcats from a Group of Five team to their first-ever college football playoff appearance.
This year's quarterback class has been labeled as weaker than most years, and there is uncertainty over who will be the first few picks during the NFL Draft that begins April 28. Matt Coral, Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett, Ridder, Sam Howell, Carson Strong during the seven-round draft and Bailey Zappe of Western Kentucky are likely to be picked.
"I feel like I should be the first quarterback off the board because I'm athletic, I play plays, I'm the most winning quarterback in almost all college football, and I think that can translate to the NFL," Ridder said. told NFL Network this week. "I think at the end of the day, I'm the winner."
National Squad quarterback Desmond Ridder of Cincinnati (9) returns to pass in the first half against the US team at Hancock Whitney Stadium on February 5.
Ridder wasn't a blue-chip recruit, but he has traveled with Hikes Point Lobos from piss football to knocking on the doors of the NFL.
Desmond Ridder focuses on fatherhood
He was born when his mother was 15 years old, and he said he "grew up watching her grow up.
"It made me who I am today," he said.
When he turned 21 in August 2020, his mother, Sarah, flew to Cincinnati to surprise him on his birthday. But it was his son who got the final surprise.
Ridder showed his mom a little Bearcat Hussey with his jersey number, revealing that he and his longtime girlfriend had a daughter together. That daughter, Leighton, is now 10 months old and is reportedly "crawling everywhere," per Ridder.
Being a parent, his perspective has also changed.
"That makes me the most selfless person," Ridder said.
In his foray into the NFL, Ridder has named a few quarterbacks, including Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson, that he said he started watching when Jackson was in Louisville and Ridder was in high school, although Ridder acknowledged: "I'm not as quick or playful as him."
He also said that he sees himself as Deshan Watson and Ryan Tanhill.
"I feel like those two people, if you put them together, you get a little bit of me," he said.
Why would Desmond Ridder take part in the combine exercise?
Ridder said he would participate in all drills at the NFL Combine except for the bench press, and ESPN's NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said that Ridder had no quarterback to prove, citing Ridder's play in the Bearcats' playoff loss. To do the most. to Alabama.
“If he had played well, I think he probably could have been QB1, QB2, but now he is battling to be QB4 or QB5 and progressing to the second round, not the first round,” said Kiper Jr. he said.
While at St. X, Ridder was considered a two- or three-star recruit and had only one FBS offer from Cincinnati. But over the years, he has accomplished what few others have—winning 44 college games—and has positioned himself to be a second-round NFL draft pick.
“I look back on it now,” Ridder said of recruiting rankings out of high school, “and some of those people who were above me… just looking at where they are now and, I I am where I am. I have put in hard work and time to be where I am, and so it keeps me moving day by day."