Alabama’s Calvin Ridley looks to improve NFL draft stock vs. Vanderbilt
By Conor Dorney
Crimson Tide star receiver Calvin Ridley looks to open the eyes of NFL scouts this week against Vanderbilt’s outstanding pass defense
When it comes to scouting players for the NFL Draft, few teams in college football require as much discipline as watching the Alabama Crimson Tide. To put it simply, there is constantly NFL-caliber talent all over the field. With Nick Saban’s defenses primarily stealing the draft spotlight over the past couple seasons, one offensive star, junior wide receiver Calvin Ridley, could be well on his way to a first-round selection in next April’s draft. This week, the ultra-consistent Ridley will get a chance to impress scouts against the Vanderbilt Commodores’ top-ranked passing defense.
Making a mark since day one
Ever since coming to Tuscaloosa, Calvin Ridley has been one of the team’s most consistent playmakers, earning First Team All-America honors as a freshman and racking up over 2,000 yards receiving and 17 touchdowns thus far in his career with the Crimson Tide. As former Alabama receiving greats Julio Jones and Amari Cooper continue to make their mark in the NFL, Ridley could be next in line. So, without further ado, let’s get into just what Calvin Ridley has that can make him a great wide receiver in the NFL and how his play against Vanderbilt could solidify that potential in the eyes of scouts.
A five-star recruit in 2014, Ridley signed a letter of intent with the Crimson Tide and it wasn’t long into his true freshman season before he began to show his impact as a playmaker. He finished 2015 with 89 receptions for 1,045 yards and seven touchdowns, helping Alabama win their fourth national title in seven years.
A dynamic playmaker
Despite playing in an Alabama offense that doesn’t take too many shots down the field, Ridley is without a doubt one of the best deep threats in college football and should continue to show that explosive play ability in the NFL. In this season’s showdown with Florida State, Ridley wasted no time showing off his speed against the Seminoles’ top cover corner Tarvarus McFadden.
The pass from quarterback Jalen Hurts is badly overthrown, but Ridley has McFadden beat by nearly two yards and would have practically walked into the end zone had the ball been on target. Ridley trusts his speed and is a precise route-runner, so when corners allow him to get a clean release in one-on-one situations, they have almost no shot at keeping up with him once he gets going.
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Just as Ridley’s speed can take the top off a defense, it can also be used to run sideline-to-sideline, as shown here in last season’s game against Ole Miss.
The Crimson Tide love using Ridley on screens, sweeps and motions, and he has the speed to go for six if an opposing defense fails to set the edge. Ridley’s agility and decisiveness as a runner in the open field make it difficult to contain him once he has the ball in his hands.
Concerns about physicality?
It’s tough to find flaws in Calvin Ridley’s game, but if there’s one thing that may be of concern to NFL scouts, it’s his tendency to be easily redirected when defensive backs are physical with him near the line of scrimmage. Ridley knows he can win with agility when cornerbacks give him a cushion but the true test will be against physical press coverage, something illustrated in the play below that he’ll likely see far more at the NFL level.
As much as he sometimes struggles press coverage, Ridley shows good technique and toughness as a blocker in the run game and was even rated by Pro Football Focus as one of the SEC’s best blocking wide receivers in 2016.
Tough test against Vandy
After starting the year against a Florida State secondary loaded with NFL prospects, Ridley will face a Vanderbilt defense this weekend that is allowing the fewest passing yards per game in the country at 95.3, and just 13 total points in three games. They’re also allowing the fewest yards per attempt, so this will easily be Ridley’s toughest test of the year so far, and perhaps the rest of the way too.
The Commodores have a wealth of experience on defense and have already totaled five interceptions so far in 2017. Coming off a win against No. 18 Kansas State, Vanderbilt will likely be looking to further boost their confidence with a strong performance against Alabama. If they’re able to effectively bump Ridley at the line of scrimmage and disrupt his timing, they could have some success against the Tide passing game. As a result, I expect Alabama to counter with a heavy dose of Ridley in the screen and jet sweep game.
After watching all this tape of Ridley, it’s pretty astounding how much better his numbers would be if not for Alabama’s inconsistent quarterback play. Numerous passes were overthrown, underthrown, or put in a position that required Ridley to use his outstanding body control and hands in order to turn it into a positive play.
Next: College Football Week 4: NFL Draft big board
The Vanderbilt defense will have its hands full with Calvin Ridley this weekend and must disrupt timing and force turnovers in order to have a chance to beat the Tide. But whatever the outcome, Ridley looks to be well on his way to becoming the next Alabama star receiver to make an impact in the NFL.
Fearlessly wrong prediction: 9 rec, 113 yd, 2 TD