After the loss of ArDarius Stewart and O.J. Howard, we knew that the Alabama receiving corps would be different in 2017.

Fortunately, the Crimson Tide can typically rely on Calvin Ridley, who has been the primary target since he was a freshman and is one of the premier route runners in recent memory. He’s once again the No. 1 option for quarterback Jalen Hurts.

That being said, nobody could’ve anticipated just how important Ridley would be to the ‘Bama passing attack this year. As a matter of fact, his 49 catches are more than every other wide receiver on coach Nick Saban’s roster combined — there are seven others who’ve recorded at least 1 reception. Jerry Jeudy is tied for second on the squad with 12.

While Saban does speak highly of the other pass catchers on his depth chart, week-to-week production has escaped them.

“We’re pleased with the development,” Saban said Wednesday on the weekly SEC coaches teleconference. “We’ve got a lot of young players there. I think our older players, Robert Foster and Cam Sims, have played very consistently for us and played well. The young guys have really progressed nicely and been able to contribute and make some big plays.”

The aforementioned Jeudy is only a true freshman, but he was a 5-star recruit and appears to be a stud in the making. Nevertheless, he’s yet to top 68 yards receiving in any game and was shut out the last two weeks against LSU and Mississippi State.

Foster and Sims — two seniors who had quiet careers with the Tide prior to this season — have totaled 20 catches for 292 yards and 1 touchdown as a tandem. Another freshman, Henry Ruggs III, has flashed with 5 TDs, although he only has 6 receptions overall. Tight ends Irv Smith Jr. and Hale Hentges aren’t mismatches like the freakish Howard was.

Only LSU and Georgia have thrown less than the Crimson Tide so far this year.

Defenses have every reason to roll extra coverage Ridley’s direction, yet he’s caught no less than 3 passes in each of his 10 games.

“He’s a hard guy to cover,” Saban said. “We try to move him around a lot. It’s our intention to give him the ball a lot because he’s a good player. He’s hard to cover. He’s got great hands. He’s a really good competitor. He plays with a lot of toughness, and he can run with the ball after he catches it.”

Alabama operates a middle-of-the-pack aerial attack in the conference, mostly because the ground assault and defense are overwhelming week to week. Only LSU and Georgia have thrown less than the Crimson Tide so far this year.

However, when Hurts needs to move the chains through the air, Ridley is his first read more often than not. Only A.J. Brown (62) of Ole Miss and Ryan Davis (52) of Auburn have more catches in the league this season, but they’re both surrounded by sticky-fingered teammates that need to be covered, too. Neither is expected to make every big play.

Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Brown is responsible for 24.6 percent of the receptions in Oxford, while Davis gets 30.4 percent of them on The Plains.

Ridley, on the other hand, registers 34 percent of all the completions in Tuscaloosa. The two receivers behind him in the standings, Missouri’s J’Mon Moore (47) and Texas A&M’s Christian Kirk (46), have help, as well. They’re at 24.2 and 26.1 percent, respectively.

"They really do a good job focusing on getting him the ball. To do that, you have to be able to move him around in different positions, which makes it hard to scheme on because he doesn't line up in the same place all the time." -- Dan Mullen

Now a draft-eligible junior, there has been a bunch of speculation that Ridley will give up his senior season in order to head to the NFL early. Chances are, he’ll be a first-round pick and the initial receiver off the board. Far from a physical specimen — he’s listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds — scouts love his technical expertise and sure hands.

Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen tried to scheme against Ridley in Week 11, but he still had 5 catches for 171 yards.

“They’ve got a great team,” Mullen said. “They’ve got a lot of talent around him, but he’s a fantastic player and a really special player out there on the field. You want to stop him. You’ve got to put two guys on him at different times to stop him. But they have a lot of other talented guys they put out there on the field, so sometimes it’s hard to always have two guys on him.”

Keep in mind that Hurts was just 10-of-18 passing that night, so half of his completions went to Ridley. Running back Joshua Jacobs had 2 out of the backfield, and then Sims, Hentges and another freshman wideout, DeVonta Smith, had 1 apiece.

Smith’s lone reception ended up being the game-winner in what was a 31-24 thriller in favor of ‘Bama, a 26-yard touchdown off a quick slant with only 25 seconds left in regulation. But it was Ridley who set up the score with a 31-yard catch-and-run — he also had a 63-yarder earlier — on the previous snap to get the Tide within striking distance.

It’s not like the Bulldogs weren’t paying attention to Ridley. Actually covering him is easier said than done, though.

“If you’re gonna be balanced and throw to a bunch of different guys, you don’t have to move them,” Mullen said. “You can leave that guy there, and he’ll get his numbers if they roll coverage to other people. But they really do a good job focusing on getting him the ball. To do that, you have to be able to move him around in different positions, which makes it hard to scheme on because he doesn’t line up in the same place all the time.”

Alabama appeared to be vulnerable in Starkville, and opponents will take their chances with Hurts throwing the ball. But even with the weight of the entire Crimson Tide passing game on his shoulders, Ridley is doing a fine Atlas impression.