A second quarterback is finally off the board.
The Atlanta Falcons drafted Desmond Ridder out of Cincinnati with the No. 74 overall pick in the third round.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Ridder had a career year as a senior with the Bearcats, throwing for 3,334 yards, 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The 6-foot-4 prospect completed 64.9% of his passes and averaged 8.6 yards per throw last season.
After Atlanta traded long-time field general Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts earlier in the offseason and signed Marcus Mariota to a two-year deal in free agency shortly after, the Falcons were among the teams who could’ve benefited from drafting a new quarterback.
That is now the case, with Ridder signaling a player the franchise can develop behind the scenes with Mariota serving as the bridge quarterback.
He becomes just the second quarterback taken so far in the 2022 draft, with Kenny Pickett going in the first round to the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is now the latest a second quarterback was selected in the draft since 1996, when the Philadelphia Eagles picked Bobby Hoying out of Ohio State at No. 85 overall.
San Francisco 49ers
Find the latest San Francisco 49ers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
Malik Willis went to the Tennessee Titans at No. 86 overall.