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Cowboys NFL Draft Profile: Georgia WR Riley Ridley

Georgia wideout Riley Ridley is following in his brother Calvin’s footsteps and could be a target for the Cowboys in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Much like the tight end position in the upcoming NFL Draft, the wide receivers group is loaded with talent which is opportune for the Dallas Cowboys as receiver has suddenly become a position of need. 

One such player, Andy Isabella out of UMass, has already been profiled here on WFAA Sports so we move on to Riley Ridley of Georgia. 

NAME: Riley Ridley

SCHOOL: Georgia

POSITION: Wide Receiver

CLASS: Junior

HT: 6’2

WT: 200 lbs

ARMS: 32 5/8”

HANDS: 10 ¼”

Riley is the brother of former Alabama standout Calvin Ridley, who was often tabbed by draft experts to be selected by the Cowboys last year before the team snagged linebacker Leighton Vander Esch out of Boise State before Ridley landed with the Atlanta Falcons seven picks later in the first round. 

Ridley the younger won’t have the fanfare or the accolades of his brother but this Ridley shouldn’t be overlooked based solely on meager college production. 

Indeed, talent-wise, Ridley has all the makings of a future NFL starter as a secondary option at wide receiver. Playing in a run-heavy offense, Ridley did more than enough in the vaunted SEC to show he has what it takes as a receiver who can perform at the next level. 

What the tape makes you love about Ridley is the fact that he is physical enough to beat press coverage. Riley also shows that he can fight through contact while running his routes, allowing the quarterback to trust that he will hit his spots on the field and be open. He is able to create throwing windows even with strong coverage. On the flipside, he does have issues with getting off at the snap of the ball as he doesn’t show great quickness there.

Another plus for Ridley is that he shows good focus and hand-eye coordination when going after passes thrown his way. You won’t see a lot of concentration drops from Ridley as he is able to make catches in traffic and will pluck the ball away from his body. One of Ridley’s best assets is his hands.

Ridley shows the ability to go up and get the ball while maintaining body control to haul the pass in. Ridley isn’t a big threat to make plays after the catch as his yards after catch numbers leave something to be desired but he can become a guy who operates as a chain-moving security blanket for his QB.

While Ridley did lead one of the top teams in the nation in receiving, Georgia isn’t a high-volume throwing offense and they rely on their run game. That would make for an easier transition for him at the NFL level, should he land in Dallas, as the Cowboys employ a similar philosophy with much of their offense focused on the run game through Ezekiel Elliott. Ridley is a player who can play outside allowing Dallas to shuffle Amari Cooper around to take advantage of a mismatch.

To play wide receiver at Georgia you must be able to block and with the Dallas Cowboys this would be no different. Cowboys receivers are asked to block for screens and the run game. Ridley showed the ability to get the job done and do it consistently at Athens. He wouldn’t be a liability in this regard and that would be another reason why he would fit in nicely with the departure of Terrance Williams, who was a good blocker for the Cowboys before his release this offseason.

Ridley has the potential to be a good second option at the NFL level with the ability to block and catch the ball when given the opportunity. There wasn’t much history of him as a returner in college so that area is a bit of an unknown but Dallas likely wouldn’t be selecting him for his return ability. 

Instead, Riley Ridley could be in play for the Cowboys at pick No. 58 in the second round as Dallas begins to look for other options following the free agency departure of Cole Beasley.

Do you think that the Cowboys should target a receiver as an early part of their draft plans or do you think they have more pressing needs to address? Make your thoughts known to Patrick on Twitter @DraftCowboys.

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