Getty Desmond Ridder celebrates a touchdown for Cincinnati in 2021.
With the 2021 season now firmly out of control, the Detroit Lions are more focused on what kind of prospects will be available in the draft and what might play out for the future of their team this coming offseason.
Given that, there’s going to be an intense focus on mock drafts in the months ahead for the 2022 season. Already, the projections are coming in fast and furious as it relates to what could happen for the team. So far, the projections have been across the board, but a major theme is beginning to develop for some of the prognosticators in terms of what the Lions might do down the line.
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A recent mock draft put together by Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports didn’t have a big surprise for Detroit’s top overall pick. As Edholm said, he thinks the Lions will be selecting Kayvon Thibodeaux with that pick. When it comes to Detroit’s second first-round pick by virtue of Los Angeles, Edholm had the Lions going with Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder.
As for why, Edholm said that he believes Ridder probably doesn’t have a high ceiling at the next level, but he does have plenty of college experience to rely on plus the potential for dual-threat playmaking, which has become an important trait at quarterback.
Ridder hasn’t been included in a ton of mocks in the first-round, so this is an early mention of him perhaps going to creep up the board to a team like Detroit that could need a hand.
Ridder’s College Stats & Highlights
While Ridder doesn’t have a huge name that tons of folks will recognize, he figures to be one of the top quarterbacks in play this coming year to be selected. During a solid four year career with the Bearcats, Ridder has managed to put up 9,026 passing yards and 77 touchdowns to only 25 interceptions. Ridder’s 2021 season is going well too, with 20 touchdowns this year to just 5 interceptions and 2,121 yards through the air. With that in mind, it isn’t hard to see how he will be a rising prospect that could make a move up the board before next season.
Here’s a look at Ridder playing in his biggest game of 2021, a victory at Notre Dame:
Ridder has a very talented arm and some playmaking skills. If there is anything teams will call into question in the draft process, it’s his ability to play in big games, as he hasn’t had many at Cincinnati. When all is said and done, that might not matter much, though.
Lions Might Have Quarterback Question for 2022
Detroit was rumored to perhaps be in the market for a quarterback after dealing Matthew Stafford, but they added Jared Goff to the mix and also signed Tim Boyle this offseason in free agency. The team also released Chase Daniel, but still has David Blough entrenched as the third quarterback on the roster. As a result, they rolled into the year with this group and did not add anyone else to the mix. It’s a show of just how committed the Lions are to Goff that they didn’t make an addition and bypassed this past year’s class.
The Lions are essentially giving Goff an audition for the future in the 2021 season, and thus far, the results have been rocky with just 7 touchdowns to 4 interceptions for the quarterback. In spite of this, general manager Brad Holmes knows Goff and wants to see what he can do with the Lions, and might look to add more weapons for him as well. With this in mind, it’s more than possible that Goff sticks around for more than a few seasons. He is 26, and has been one of the more successful young quarterbacks in the league recently with a 6-5 playoff record, a Super Bowl appearance and multiple big wins on the resume. Still, his presence alone isn’t going to guarantee the team ignores quarterback in the draft this year.
Will Ridder be a player in play to be selected? It’s more than possible when all is said and done, if not likely according to this prognostication.
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Mock Draft Pegs Lions for First-Round Surprise at Quarterback