Seahawks 2022 NFL draft: What Desmond Ridder would bring to Seattle

The Seahawks don’t have to get a quarterback in the first round but if they do Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder has certain skills that are intriguing.

It could be that Ridder is still available in the second round when Seattle chooses at picks 40 and 41, but because the NFL is a quarterback-happy league some specific team or teams might feel they have to get Ridder earlier in the first round for fear another team picks him first.

Seattle, as 12s all know, currently has the number 9 pick in the 2022 NFL draft. That should be too early to choose a quarterback when Seattle has so many other needs. If there was as much of a sure-thing as a team could get at QB in the draft then yes, Seattle should take a quarterback. But this year’s draft class doesn’t have that.

How Desmond Ridder could be the Seahawks next quarterback

That doesn’t mean that if the Seahawks trade down (as they do quite a bit) to pick up more picks and maybe just a slightly lower first-round choice, then Ridder might be an option. And he should be.

Ridder is very athletic (he ran a 4.52 40-yard dash at the NFL combine) and he can, like a young Russell Wilson did, help beat a team with his legs and his arm. He also showed in college that he knows when to run and when not to run. But at that speed, Ridder would be able to get around NFL defenders.

If Seattle wants to go with a “point guard” type at QB then having a quarterback who can throw with accuracy, throw the deep pass from time to time but also keep drives alive by running at times, then Ridder is a near-perfect fit.

That’s part of the deal with Ridder, too. He’s smart and he knows how to win. At Cincinnati, Ridder was 44-6 as a starter and led his team to the college playoff semi-finals in 2021. He didn’t play great against Alabama but Alabama was the better team by far overall.

Ridder also can throw a nice deep pass and puts enough air underneath for the receiver to catch up as Russell Wilson did. I am not saying Ridder is Wilson on long throws, but then again, who is? Still, Ridder certainly has the arm strength to hit DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett long.

But Ridder’s greatest strength may be that he is a leader on the field and in the locker room. His Cincinnati teammates looked at him to get them through any difficulties and Ridder almost always did that. But he is a mature player and doesn’t make any negative noise off the field.

The one thing Ridder does need to work on is his accuracy. He doesn’t put the ball in harm’s way (only 8 picks last year) but sometimes on shorter passes, he is a bit off. This is needed to keep drives alive.

So yes, the Seahawks need to wait on a quarterback, likely until 2023. But if Seattle trades down then maybe they get another high pick along with a first-rounder to take a chance on Ridder in the first round. But if he is still there in the early second, Seattle has to take him.