Atlanta Falcons: 3 Bold predictions for Calvin Ridley in 2018
By Derek Snyder
3. Ridley will be the NFC South’s best overall offensive rookie
Between the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers, there were nine rookie running backs or wide receivers drafted this past April. Among the nine guys taken, I believe Calvin Ridley is going to be the most-productive player in 2018, making him the NFC South’s best overall offensive rookie by a large margin.
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If there is one player who could give Ridley a run for his money, it’s wide receiver, DJ Moore, of the Carolina Panthers. He was taken just a few spots of Ridley in the 2018 NFL Draft and will have the first-look from Cam Newton all season long, especially if Greg Olsen continues to deal with injuries.
If Newton and Moore end up connecting early in the season, it could be hard for Ridley to overcome that kind of production. As much as Jameis Winston loves Mike Evans, Cam Newton loves his fellow teammates who can take the top off a defense. We’ve seen it before, he’ll find every way possible to get them the ball.
Still, even with all of the young, offensive potential around the division, I believe Ridley is far and above the best. He’s a great route-runner who has been well-coached since arriving at Alabama. Heck, the last Crimson Ride receiver Atlanta drafted turned out pretty darn well.