NFL Draft: What Calvin Ridley said about teaming up with Julio Jones in Atlanta

Former Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley kept falling in Thursday night’s NFL Draft, and it became apparent that one team would be getting a steal late in the first round.

Ridley wasn’t the first receiver off the board — that belonged to Maryland’s D.J. Moore, but Ridley landed in the perfect situation: the Atlanta Falcons.

The Falcons have an established passing game already with Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, but things are about to get even better (and worse for NFL defenses) with the addition of Ridley. The former electrifying Alabama playmaker will join Jones to create one of the most potent tandems in the NFL.

“I’m very excited to be coming in with Julio,” Ridley said, via the Atlanta Falcons’ website. “I know I’m going to learn a lot from him and become a better player. I’m very happy to be in that organization.”

It’s not just Jones; Ridley is teaming up with former Alabama coordinator Steve Sarkisian, too.

“I think I get open really well,” Ridley said in a conference call with Atlanta media. “I think with that offense that has Coach Sark and I think he’s going to do a great job, I think I’m going to do really well.”

Interestingly, college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit suggested that Ridley’s numbers would have been ridiculous had Tua Tagovailoa been the Tide’s full-time quarterback, and it’s hard to argue that point.

Did Ridley’s lack of eye-popping numbers have an impact on him being drafted No. 26 overall? At this point, it doesn’t matter, but that certainly could be the case.

Good luck, NFL defensive backfields.