Desmond Ridder had an inconsistent first day of practice but finished it off with a solid week of practice overall. There’s still some ball placement and accuracy inefficiency, however, those were not as common as one would think when watching the Cincinnati quarterback’s tape. 2021 tape. Ridder’s footwork was efficient in most drills and displayed his good arm talent throughout the week. He also did a good job reading the full field.
One thing that kept catching my eye for the wrong reasons was his elongated throwing motion. It felt like the ball took forever to get out of his hands. Maybe it’s something that can be worked on this offseason and addressed on his future NFL squad. I think there is a bright future for Ridder, but with most QBs in this draft class, the situation and environment need to be good for him to succeed at a high level.
Nevada’s Carson Strong had a decent week. I honestly thought he had the best week of the three quarterbacks from the National team. His accuracy was hit and miss at times but he clearly had the best arm of the group, firing darts left and right and showcasing his deep ball plenty of times this week. There are some that consider Strong to be a “statue” from within the pocket and that’s simply not true.
While I do have mobility concerns, I think Strong can move just fine when have to be moved off of his spot. Strong’s knee will continue to be a concern up to the combine and his medicals will need to check out if he wants to go high in the draft, but there is something very intriguing with Strong at the next level.
Malik Willis was arguably the best quarterback in Mobile this week. While he may have not been the most consistent of the bunch, the Liberty QB was easily the most talented. His arm talent was on display all week long. Willis was throwing darts left and right, making some impressive throws on the move during 11-on-11 drills. Willis’ footwork improved each day and his accuracy and placement improved as well. All of this is exciting and fun, however, he is still a raw quarterback prospect. His pocket awareness, footwork, and overall accuracy still need improvement before he can start an NFL game.
