The Dallas Cowboys are contemplating drafting a wide receiver with the No. 19 overall pick as Dez Bryant's production continues to diminish, and as such, they have been heavily linked to Alabama's Calvin Ridley.
However, Nathan Forster of Football Outsiders writes that the Cowboys would be smart to pass on Ridley in the first round.
Calvin Ridley is a halfway-decent prospect, but Playmaker believes that he is way overrated as the top wide receiver prospect in this draft. Ridley, put simply, does not have top-tier production even after adjusting for Alabama's run-heavy offense. Ridley's touchdowns were particularly weak for a potential first-round draft pick. As a junior, Ridley had only five touchdowns in 332 team pass attempts, while D.J. Moore had eight touchdowns in only 318 team pass attempts.
Nor is it likely that there is any other team-related factor holding Ridley's projection back. Playmaker did miss somewhat on a former wide receiving prospect from Alabama -- Julio Jones -- but Ridley is a far cry from Jones. Jones was a physical freak who ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at 220 pounds. By contrast, Ridley ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds and only weighs in at 189 pounds. Moreover, Ridley had a poor vertical leap (31 inches), which historically has been the workout metric that is most predictive of success for wide receivers (although even the correlation between vertical leap and success is relatively weak). Without outstanding production or workout numbers, it is a little puzzling that Ridley is so highly regarded.
Dallas is interested in a number of prospects, particularly two defensive stars in Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith and Florida State safety Derwin James.
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They are also considering a number of other receivers in this draft, including SMU's Courtland Sutton. Texas A&M's Christian Kirk and Maryland's D.J. Moore have also visited the Cowboys.
Ridley caught 63 passes for 967 yards and five touchdowns last season.
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