Athleticism: 7.28

Q.A.B.: 7.30

He has solid quickness when running his routes and making plays in the open field. Also shows an ability to keep a good balance when taking on contact.

Flexibility: 7.40

Shows a great range of flexibility, uses his length and athleticism to go up and get balls that are thrown too high.

C.O.D.: 6.80

Can cut and change direction to gain yards after the catch but could work on this at the next level.

Explosion: 7.40

Has very explosive speed in the deep game and also shows explosion when jumping up for highly thrown balls. Also shows explosion/strength when breaking through tackles.

Deep Speed: 7.50

Has long strides which allow him to gain momentum and beat defenders in the deep game. Has no trouble getting open on deep routes.

Without Ball: 7.14

Quicks Off LOS: 6.80

Has a solid first step off the line of scrimmage which he uses to gain initial separation from the defender.

Release VS Jam: 6.80

Uses his speed and quickness to beat defenders. Will need to work on hand fighting at the next level but he is fully capable of beating jams.

Route Running: 7.80

Very smooth, crisp route runner. Seems to have a nice flow to his routes and is able to cut to break off his routes and create separation.

Separation: 7.50

Uses his speed and length to create separation in the deep passing game. Also doesn't have a problem getting open on shorter routes due to his skills as a route runner.

Blocking: 6.80

He does a good job in getting in front of defenders to seal them off in the run game and on screens. Can work on staying on blocks longer.

With Ball In Hands: 7.73

Hands: 7.70

Very sure, soft hands. Is a very reliable target as he will catch most balls that are made catchable by his quarterback.

Yard After Contact: 7.60

Uses his size to bounce off of tackles and drag defenders for extra yards. Also has shown ability to make a move and make defenders miss.

Ability in Space: 7.60

Has shown an ability to get upfield quickly after a catch as well as make cuts in open space to create missed tackles.

Ball Security: 8.00

Tucks the ball in high and tight after the catch. Didn't see any fumbles in film that I watched on him.

Competitiveness: 7.63

Toughness: 7.80

Isn't afraid to take on contact when making catches. Will also lower his shoulder as a runner and bring the contact to defenders instead of being brought down easily.

Production: 7.50

2018 - 44 receptions, 570 yards, 9 touchdowns

Consistency/Motor: 7.60

Plays with a very high motor for the most part. The only times I saw him take plays off on film were when the play was away from him and got lazy with his blocks at times.

Intelligence: 7.37

Instincts: 7.30

Stays in tune to the game. Understands the situation and carries out his job,.Also uses great instincts in his route running as he will redirect as needed.

Learn/Retain: 8.00

Learns from his bad plays and comes back even harder the next down. Will very rarely see him make the same mistake twice.

Position Versatility: 6.80

Mainly lined up on the outside in college but has shown the ability to line up in the slot as well.

STRENGTHS:

The best trait with Ridley is that he has no trouble getting open. He is always a big play threat in the deep passing game as he uses his deep speed to create separation from defenders. Ridley also uses his route running skills to get open in the shorter passing game. He also creates YAC opportunities as he uses his speed to get upfield quickly and is also strong enough as a ball carrier to break tackles.

WEAKNESSES:

The biggest thing that Ridley can work on his his initial quickness in his release. He has a decent amount right now but he will need to sure up and polish it at the next level. Ridley will also need to work on hand fighting as the corners he will face in the league will be a lot bigger and stronger than he faced in college. Another thing he can work on is blocking. As I mentioned, he does a good job of getting in front of defenders but he needs to work on using his hands and staying on blocks longer.

BIG PICTURE:

Riley Ridley, brother of current Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley, created a name for himself in his three seasons at Georgia. After a solid showing as a Bulldog, he decided to leave school early and declare for the 2019 NFL Draft. As a freshman, Ridley played in 11 games and finished with 12 receptions for 238 yards and two touchdowns. He truly came onto the scene as a sophomore as he started in 7 of 14 games. Ridley finished with 14 catches for 218 yards and two touchdowns that season and had a terrific game against Alabama in the National Championship game as he finished with six receptions for 82 yards. In his final season as a Bulldog, Ridley started 12 of 14 games. He finished as Georgia's leading receiver for the 2018 season with 44 receptions for 570 yards and nine touchdowns. As a pro, I strongly believe Ridley can step in and contribute to an offense as a rookie. He would provide a great WR2 or WR3 option and give a team a tremendous improvement in the passing game, especially as a deep threat. I see Ridley being a key contributor in his first season and eventually growing into the WR1 role for the team that drafts him.

Round Projection: 2nd-3rd

Team Fits: Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers

Pro Comparison: Michael Thomas

Riley Ridley

Position: Receiver

College: Georgia

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 200lbs

SCOUTING GRADE

7.26

Injury History: Spring 2017: Ankle (Missed first week of Spring practices), 2016: Leg (Missed TCU) Ankle (Left Florida early)

Games Evaluated: 2018: South Carolina, Missouri, Texas

Scout: Ryan Lippert

Scouting Report