Riley Ridley is the younger brother of Calvin Ridley, the Atlanta Falcons stud young receiver. Like his brother, Riley is a receiver who is getting a lot of attention recently. He is also the sixth-highest trending player on Sleeper. A lot of people have been getting shares of the former fourth-rounder. Should you?
Dynasty Value Check: Should You Buy The Riley Ridley Hype?
Is He Athletic?
The older Ridley dazzled scouts at the NFL Combine, running a 4.43 forty. Riley only ran a 4.58 forty, which tanked his draft stock going into the 2019 NFL Draft. He is also 10 pounds heavier than his older brother, but that does not make up for the stark difference in speed.
The forty is huge for receivers, just ask DK Metcalf. If you don’t have elite speed, you better make up for it another way in the eyes of general managers.
The only test he performed admirably in was the broad jump, leaping 124″, the 12th best number posted in the 2019 Combine by a receiver. Known as a nuanced route-runner, many expected him to perform well in the three-cone drill and shuttle. However, he had the seventh-worst time in the three-cone at 7.22 seconds, and his shuttle time wasn’t much better. The grace he had on the field was not on display at the Combine. Another reason why he fell to the fourth round.
The young receiver was not elite at any aspect of the Combine. But it’s called the Underwear Olympics for a reason, right?
He Must Be Talented?
Ridley played like a bigger receiver in college, winning contested catches regularly both deep downfield and in the red zone. A route-running technician, sometimes when I watched the game film I wondered if defenses forgot about him due to how ridiculously open he was. He understands how to run routes and get open despite not being the best athlete on the field. Even if he didn’t create elite separation, he had the ball skills to make up for it using his large hands and catch radius to reel in ball after ball.
On tape, Ridley is quick. He may not explode out of his stance, but he knows how to sell a route and use leverage. One aspect of his athleticism that was not tested at the combine is the ability to sink your hips and stop on a dime. Voch Lombardi breaks it down best on YouTube below.
He’s the type of receiver that does not need speed or explosiveness to get open, like Davante Adams. Adams is also 6-1 and weighs a few pounds more than Ridley. Like Ridley, he ran a poor forty and did not dazzle scouts at the Combine. However, as we all know, Adams is one of the best route-runners in the league. He has become Aaron Rodgers’ favorite target for a reason.
Ridley flashed his potential against the Vikings in their Week 17 matchup, catching three balls for 52 yards. Two of his three catches came from the slot, where he could use his strength and length against smaller slot cornerbacks. He ran a dig, out, or a corner route on all plays where he caught a ball against Minnesota. With a full route-tree and a deep understanding of the nuances of playing as a receiver, he plays like a veteran, not a rookie.
As a pure pass-catcher and route-runner, he looked like one of the best talents to come out of college since his brother and Amari Cooper. But he wasn’t that productive in college for someone so talented, which is worrying. He only caught 69 balls in college, with 44 of them coming in his last year. If he couldn’t dominate college defenders, how could he do it against NFL level athletes?
He Has A Bright Future, Right?
The Bears currently have an abundance of receivers. Ridley is the sixth receiver on the depth chart. Fortunately, Patterson, Wims, and Ginn tend to play on the outside. Unfortunately, the Bears’ top two receivers like to play in the slot, where Ridley got four of his six catches last season. The slot is where Ridley has the best chance to shine at the moment, using his route-running and long arms to act as a safety blanket for whoever the Bears’ quarterback ends up being.
Anthony Miller played 80.9-percent of his snaps in the slot, and Allen Robinson was in the slot 56.7-percent of the time. The only chance Ridley has of getting on the field in 2020 is if either of them misses time. Until then, he has to wait and be patient.
Ridley will not be fantasy football relevant in 2020, or 2021, or possibly 2022. Miller and Robinson are both in their mid-20s, entering their primes. Miller is on a rookie contract for another two years, and Robinson should sign a new contract soon. Without elite speed, it will be difficult for Ridley to find time on the field whilst both are on the roster. Neither of the aforementioned receivers are burners themselves, thus the reason why the Bears have Ginn and Patterson on their roster.
Without game-changing speed, Ridley will be stuck behind two great, young receivers who play in a similar style. On any other team, he could become a great slot receiver that uses nuance and technique to get open, like Jordy Nelson.
Another issue for Ridley is Tarik Cohen. The undersized receiving back is another player who can take snaps in the slot. He has been the second-highest targeted player on the team twice in his three years, and in the third year, he was only the third-highest by two targets. Some argue that he’s the third-best receiver on the team. They’re not wrong.
Buy Or Sell?
Please do not buy Riley Ridley. He’s buried behind better receivers, and his quarterback play is not promising in 2020. Even as a dynasty stash, there are plenty of other young players that have a better future. He is talented, don’t be mistaken, but he is not in a great situation. A better prospect to take is Scotty Miller.
Bears WRs coach Mike Furrey: "I think the one thing I’m really excited about right now and I’ll be honest with all of you, I think the biggest growth we’re going to see from anybody in our room is going to be Riley Ridley."
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) June 17, 2020
Ridley is a perfect example of how tape lies to you sometimes. He looked fast in college, mainly due to playing against college-level athletes. He doesn’t possess elite size like Mike Williams who can make a living winning at the catch point. As a sub-200-pound guy known as a route-runner, he should have had a better cone time. The flags were there but scouts ignored them due to his pedigree and game film. Don’t make the same mistake.
If you own him, you have a choice. Cash in now, or hold on to a question mark on a team without a franchise quarterback. The answer is pretty straightforward. His value only rose due to a quote from the Bears’ wide receiver coach Mike Furrey.
