From DeVonta Smith to Davante Adams, there are no shortage of wide receivers who hold Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley's route-running in high regard.
But what exactly makes Ridley such a gifted route runner? Why, after almost two full seasons of not playing, is he still seen by many of his peers as one of the best at getting open? Why is his game film still considered teach tape when it comes to the art of route running?
For Jaguars wide receivers coach Chad Hall, the answer is simple. Some receivers have speed and some have quickness ... but Ridley is the rare talent who has both.
"He's really explosive and he can stop on a dime. So it's like he's got elite speed and elite quickness, which most people don't have," Hall told Jaguar Report after OTAs. It's either you got one or the other. You're either really, really quick, or you're really, really fast. So he's got both and he covers so much ground with the strides, so DBs immediately have to respect it."
With his contract pausing through the suspension, Ridley did not cost the Jaguars anything in 2022. He is set to play on the fifth year of his rookie contract in 2023, worth $11.116 million.
If Ridley is reinstated, the deal will include the 2023 fifth-rounder, but if he isn’t, then it will turn into a sixth-round pick. The 2024 pick will be at least a fourth-rounder if Ridley makes the team. If he hits a play-time milestone, it’ll be a third-rounder. But, if the Jaguars are able to get a long-term deal done, it will be a second-rounder.
Ridley, the No. 26 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, caught 217 passes for 3,061 yards and 26 touchdowns in his first three seasons. He played in five games in 2021 before stepping away from the team, catching 31 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns.
"He doesn't have many indicators, but he's going to catch the ball. I mean, your job as a receiver is to get open and catch the ball. And he knows how to do that," Hall said.
"He understands defenses as well. So he's got the full makeup."
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