Seven years after the Falcons picked up during round one an Alabama receiver who had a decent amount of success in the NFL, they’ve done it again. And the decision to match rookie Calvin Ridley with veteran Julio Jones will allow the two men to continue a collaboration that started as Ridley prepared for the draft.
“He’s amazing,” Ridley said this week regarding Jones, during a visit to PFT Live. “He knows so much. He helped me with a lot of different ball drills. He just told me, ‘When I go in there treat is as the same way I treat it in here. Take advantage of every opportunity. Go in there and just get in my book and stay focused really.’ That was really the message.”
Ridley explained that the “ball drills” involve tennis balls.
“And it’s just me and him,” Ridley said. “We’re running around. We’re throwing like three tennis balls. I have to catch them all. They’re all over the place. It’s just a really good ball drill that helps a lot. Makes you keep moving. You know, as a receiver we’re constantly moving. We’re not just standing there catching the ball in one spot. It’s a really good drill.”
Ridley believes he can be as good as Julio, bringing to the NFL the ability to create separation -- especially while learning how to do it from working with Jones.
“Julio’s mindset is that no one can guard him and he’s going to destroy anybody,” Ridley said. “I’ve heard him say it.”
We’ve seen him do it. Remember the much-debated pass interference non-call on Richard Sherman during the Falcons-Seahawks game in 2016? At the line of scrimmage, Julio Jones created separation with a head slap that would make Deacon Jones proud.