There will be multiple Ridleys catching passes in the NFL during the 2019 season.
The Chicago Bears selected Georgia's Riley Ridley with the No. 126 pick of the 2019 NFL draft Saturday. He is the younger brother of Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley, a first-round pick during last year's draft.
Dane Brugler @dpbruglerBack-to-back years the #Bears getting great value on day three of the draft with Georgia receivers. WR Riley Ridley isn't as dynamic as Calvin, but you see the same attention to detail as route-runners and that plays in the NFL.
Doug Farrar @NFL_DougFarrarBears get Riley Ridley in the fourth round. Smooth route-runner, not a burner, but gets the nuances of the position. Works very well vs. man coverage. My 46th overall player
PFF Fantasy Football @PFF_FantasyThe #Bears go wide receiver in the fourth, taking Calvin's little brother Riley Ridley. Riley’s physicality and ability to find the end zone (nine receiving touchdowns on 43 catches last season) is appealing.
Jamey Eisenberg @JameyEisenbergNice pick by the #Bears with Riley Ridley. Adds depth to their WR corps and another weapon for Mitchell Trubisky.
Tom Fornelli @TomFornelliRiley Ridley’s got good hands, but there’s nothing else about him that strikes me as elite.
Adam Jahns @adamjahnsThe #Bears might not need new WR Riley Ridley immediately, but there are affordable exit points built into the contracts of Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel after this season. The Bears want to rebuild from within.
Colin Cowherd @ColinCowherdChicago Bears just got Georgia WR Riley Ridley. Why did he last this long? Big in every bulldog game I watched. Tough. Dependable. Feels like a total steal. Best late pick so far IMO.
Adam Hoge @AdamHoge“Perfect fit in that offense. They just got a Top 50 player in my opinion.” - @MoveTheSticks on WR Riley Ridley to the #Bears at No. 126.
The elder Ridley impressed in his first year out of Alabama and tallied 64 catches for 821 yards and 10 touchdowns in his rookie season. He thrived alongside Julio Jones, frequently taking advantage of single coverage and finding the end zone as a big-play threat.
Riley Ridley will look to live up to the expectations that will come with his name after he turned the corner during the 2018 campaign for the Georgia Bulldogs.
He had a combined 26 catches for 456 yards and four touchdowns in his first two collegiate seasons, but he finished the 2018 campaign with 43 catches for 559 yards and nine touchdowns. He led the Bulldogs in all three categories.
His ability to deliver in marquee matchups surely stood out to NFL evaluators. It started during the 2017 season, when he posted six catches for 82 yards in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game loss to his brother's Crimson Tide, and it continued in 2018 with a touchdown against LSU and a score in the SEC Championship Game against Alabama.
Ridley also finished with five catches for 61 yards in the Sugar Bowl against Texas.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com broke down Ridley's game and praised his ability to work through contact and battle for contested catches despite a lack of game-breaking speed. He suggested the Georgia product's sure hands and toughness "should make him a better pro than college player with an upside of WR2."
The Bears hope that's the case and Ridley helps lead them to the playoffs during the 2019 campaign as a reliable weapon in their aerial attack.
He joins a receiving corps led by Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel, while he will also reunite with former Georgia teammate Roquan Smith, who the Bears selected eighth overall in the 2018 draft.
