Atlanta Falcons: 3 Early breakout candidates on offense for 2020
3. Calvin Ridley, WR
The first player that could end up having a breakout season in 2020 in Falcons young wide receiver Calvin Ridley.
For the past few seasons, Ridley has been a nice complimentary piece to go alongside Atlanta Pro Bowl wideout Julio Jones in the passing game led by quarterback Matt Ryan. Having a weapon like Ridley has opened things up for Jones throughout the field and in return, when a defense is focusing on Jones primarily, that has brought forth opportunities for Ridley through the air as well.
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The duo of Jones and Ridley has been one of the more potent and dangerous receiving duos in the NFL, and there is no reason to believe that won’t be the case once again this year.
Ridley, who broke into the league in 2018 out of Alabama as a first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, has jumped right into things offensively for the Falcons while boosting the passing game at the early stages of his career already.
Ridley, however, will look to be more consistent this year in his third NFL season and could be poised to have a breakout campaign in Atlanta.
In his first two years with the Falcons, Ridley has appeared in a total of 29 games while averaging 63.5 catches, 8.5 touchdowns and 843.5 receiving yards per season entering 2020. In 2019, the 25-year-old finished with 63 catches for 866 yards and seven touchdowns in a total of 13 games.
Jones will still be the primary passing threat and target within the offense in Atlanta during the 2020 regular season, but Ridley will be a solid No. 2 target within the passing attack and in the past has attracted a large number of targets, mainly in the red zone, up to this point as a professional.
This year could be a prove-it season for Ridley as he continues to try and establish himself as one of the top wide receivers in the league. And he will be presented with multiple opportunities to have a break out year in Atlanta.