2018 NFL Draft: Grading every first-round pick after rookie year

26. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons

2018 Stats: 64 receptions, 821 receiving yards, 10 TDs

How many teams out there with needs at wide receiver wish they would have considered Calvin Ridley earlier in the first round? The general consensus in 2018 was that none of the top receiver prospects were worthy of a higher selection, but Ridley quickly proved otherwise.

The second wide receiver off the board, Ridley didn’t wait long to light it up for the Atlanta Falcons. Using his mixture of speed, route running and ballskills, the rookie exploded onto the scene from Weeks 2-4. In that span, he hauled in 15 passes for 264 yards and six touchdowns. His season would be much quieter from there on out, but the overall body of work was impressive.

The only thing worth pointing out here is that it can be a bit easier to get open when you’re on the field with Julio Jones. The future Hall of Famer tends to suck up coverage like a Dyson, leaving his teammates facing single (or zero) coverage. While that may have aided Ridley to his outstanding rookie season, it certainly wasn’t the key factor.

Put simply, the Falcons got a steal at No. 26. Ridley easily could have come off the board much higher, but fell into Atlanta’s lap near the end of the first round. Expect the young receiver to remind other teams of the mistake they made in passing on him for years to come.

Grade: A