Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder Working With QB Guru Jordan Palmer to Fix Mechanics

MOBILE, Ala. — In the world of complicated evaluations, few may be more complicated than the case of Desmond Ridder. An experienced, tenured starter, Ridder is looking to boost his draft stock past just a day two upside pick. However, in order to do that, he has to show tangible differences in his accuracy and mechanics. They have plagued him thus far in Mobile, just like they did on his tape.

With the inconsistencies, working with the man who completely reworked Josh Allen’s mechanics is never a bad idea. That man is quarterback guru Jordan Palmer, who Ridder is currently working with. They identified one key change to his base that could help him unlock more power and improve his accuracy. That is something Ridder is trying to work on.

“I’m trying to lengthen my stride just a little bit,” Ridder said. “My stance was a little tight. I was overstriding a lot. My body would follow and then I would drop the elbow. I’m working on that to get a good strong base to improve my accuracy.”

While the changes are seen and have to be made, Ridder knows it is no easy process. Quarterback mechanics are hardwired into the brain at some point, and it takes thousands of reps to overturn those previous thousands of reps. So, rightfully, Ridder is going through growing pains with his newfound mechanics in Mobile.

“It takes a little bit,” Ridder said. “It felt like I was overstriding a bit at the start today. It takes time to come with it. Jordan Palmer has done a great job getting me up a point. I’ll continue to grow and get better.”

If Ridder wants to overcome where he is at right now, those mechanics will be key. It is going to be hard for his stock to go up much given his skillset. Mechanics simply take a little bit too much time to fix without a proper offseason’s work. So, it will have to be something Ridder focuses in on after the Combine to start his march upward