The Atlanta Falcons drafted former Alabama WR Calvin Ridley in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, pairing him with fellow ex-Crimson Tide star Julio Jones.

Ridley’s preseason debut didn’t go as he would have liked, making only one catch for -2 yards. However, on Friday, his second game went much better, as he led the team with three catches for 49 yards and a touchdown.

That is the sort of explosiveness coach Dan Quinn and GM Thomas Dimitroff envisioned when they picked Ridley in the first round. Following Saturday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Quinn raved about Ridley’s big-play ability (via AJC.com):

“Having that speed and his ability to make plays down the field was a big factor in why Thomas and I felt so highly about him,” Quinn said. “His role on this team is using his speed in that way.”

Quinn added that he was impressed by Ridley’s drive to improve after last week’s disappointment:

“As a competitor he was disappointed in last week’s game,” Quinn said. “Which, at the time, Thomas and I were smiling about because he wanted to do more and can do more. It was good to see his talent come out some.”

The Falcons have high hopes for Ridley when the regular season starts, so they’ll be happy to see him continue to improve over the course of this preseason.