Anthony Richardson headlines 2023 NFL Scouting Combine on offense

Anthony Richardson was the star of the show at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. Which other offensive players joined him on the list of potential risers?

Everyone knew Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson would test well. However, I am not sure anyone expected Richardson to be the most athletic quarterback to test at the Scouting Combine for his size.

At 6’4″ and 244 lbs., most expected the redshirt sophomore to lose weight to run faster or test better. During his three seasons as a Gator, the school lists him as the same height, but he mostly played at 232 lbs. To gain ten extra pounds to run the third fastest 40-yard dash time at the Scouting Combine ever (since 2003) is ridiculous, not to mention setting records at the broad jump (10’9″) and the vertical jump (40.5″). With a 1.53 10-yard split as well, it is safe to say Richardson destroyed the Scouting Combine, possibly elevating himself as a lock in the top five or ten with the amount of quarterback-needy teams.

Now, whether or not these tests matter for quarterbacks is a different story. The tape and production from Richardson starting one year for the Gators is underwhelming compared to the other top quarterbacks. With a 53 percent completion percentage, the 21-year-old threw for about 2,549 yards and 17 touchdowns to 9 interceptions in 12 games. In terms of rushing, Richardson rushed for 654 yards on 103 attempts and 9 touchdowns on the ground in 2022.

With the prototypical size and a cannon for an arm, along with his uber athleticism, it is easy to see why teams are intrigued to take him early in the 2023 NFL Draft. He is portrayed as a boom-bust prospect. However, I think Richardson has a lower ceiling and a higher floor due to his rushing upside.

Ideally, you would want to sit him his rookie year, like Trey Lance or Patrick Mahomes, or teams like the Seattle Seahawks (5th selection) or Detroit Lions (6th selection) might be better fitting since he wouldn’t play anytime soon behind the likes of Geno Smith (who just got paid before the franchise tag deadline) and Jared Goff.

However, if he did have to start early, I can’t see how an offensive coordinator couldn’t utilize Richardson like Justin Fields in his second year. Sure, he will have to take his lumps as a raw prospect in terms of accuracy and reading defenses, like Josh Allen, but he does possess the highest upside among all the quarterbacks in this draft with his athletic traits alone. Its easier said than done for him to improve some of his weaknesses as a quarterback, but Richardson showed some signs of progression during his collegiate season as a starter so if he can follow that up into the NFL, it will make the team, whoever drafts him, very happy as it will pay dividends for that franchise.

Evan Bruner, of NFL Mocks, scouted Anthony Richardson and agrees that he offers “an upside that few others in the 2023 NFL Draft can match.”

Quarterback

Bryce Young of Alabama helped himself with his measurables, as it was at least close to what Kyler Murray weighed in at during the Scouting Combine (both listed at 5’10” and Young is only three pounds lighter at 204). Perhaps throwing with that gained weight to get over 200 lbs. would’ve not been great as his playing weight at college was most likely between 190-195 lbs. The 21-year-old passer should be at throwing at his pro day, along with potentially doing other athletic tests. He likely will be the first or second quarterback taken in this year’s draft with the production and intangibles Young possesses.

Jacob Schyvinck, of NFL Mocks, scouted Bryce Young and sees his best fit being the Houston Texans (with the 2nd selection) or a team later that trades up to number one, being either the Las Vegas Raiders (with the 7th selection) or the Carolina Panthers (with the 9th selection).

Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud can be seen as a “top ten player in this draft class,” as Hunter Haas of NFL Mocks scouted Stroud with his scouting report.

In terms of collegiate production, both Young and C.J. Stroud are at the top of the class, but some say Stroud dispelled any on-the-field concerns during the CFP Semi-Final against Georgia this past year. Although it is a one-game sample of Stroud with his statement performance, there is still a ton to like about him.

Possessing enough size (6’3″ and 213 lbs. at 21 years old) and arm strength, Stroud isn’t the best under pressure and improvising in comparison to Young. At the Scouting Combine, Stroud didn’t test but he did throw and show why many see him as the most accurate passer in the class.

In my opinion, the same can’t be said for Will Levis. The Kentucky quarterback also has great size and arm strength (at 6’4″ and 229 lbs.) but has inaccuracies that his tape and production suggest.

Levis had a good but not great throwing session and the main thing is that he didn’t stand out or separate himself from the other top two quarterbacks throwing. With the other three quarterbacks Young, Stroud, and now Richardson seemingly ahead of him, an NFL team might gamble on a younger but more athletic guy that needs development like Richardson over an older prospect like Levis at the age of 23.

Still, Levis will likely be taken in the top ten by a team that covets more size and athletic upside, as he did deal with injuries and many changing environments (and circumstances) in the two seasons starting at Kentucky (spent two years at Penn State to then transfer).

Unlike the quarterback position in this year’s draft, there is less talent at the top regarding wide receiver. However, there might be more depth for receivers in the middle of the draft, as there is a huge drop-off at quarterback. There are too many to name but I highlighted a few that stood out at the Scouting Combine, as I mostly tried to focus on mostly consensus Day 1 and 2 prospects.

Wide Receiver

Compared to previous years, this year is definitely weaker at the top, and many of the top receivers are either smaller but quicker than fast or belong to the slot due to their size or due to their speed profile. That isn’t a bad thing, as this archetype of a receiver describes the likes of the likely consensus top pass catcher Jaxon Smith-Njigba of Ohio State.

Smith-Njigba will run his 40-yard dash at his pro day, but for his style of play, it shouldn’t matter much. At 6’1″ and 196 lbs., the 21-year-old junior should see his snaps on the inside as a slot receiver and as a productive one-year player at Ohio State, the route-running savant should see success right away.

In 2022, Smith-Njigba dealt with injuries but the year prior, eviscerated defenses with 1,606 yards on 95 receptions and nine touchdowns. This was with the likes of former first-round picks Garrett Wilson (10th overall pick by New York Jets) and Chris Olave (11th overall pick by New Orleans Saints).

For a younger player with a high floor for a baseline, that should make him a mid-first-round pick, as JSN posted an elite change of direction score on athletic tests like the 3-cone (6.57 seconds) and 20-yard shuttle (3.93 seconds), which were the fastest times among all positions at the Scouting Combine. If an offense utilizes his best skillsets as a possession slot receiver that can shred defenses in the middle of the field and not make something he is not, JSN could be the missing piece to put the offense that takes him over the top.

Evan Bruner, of NFL Mocks, described Smith-Njigba as “one of the most technically refined receivers in this class,” as he scouted the Ohio State receiver and his polarizing profile.

Jordan Addison of USC and Quentin Johnston of TCU are the other two receiver prospects that should hear their name called on day one of the 2023 NFL Draft. However, they are completely opposite players in their physical profiles.

Despite Addison being more productive in college (especially at Pitt before transferring to USC), Johnston is one of the rare prototypical outside receivers that could stick there at the next level. The TCU junior at 6’3″ and 208 lbs. is exceptional after the catch, unlike the USC junior who relies on quickness and route running at 5’11” and 173 lbs.

Before his statistics went on a slide for USC, Addison won the Biletnikoff in 2021 at Pitt, as he amassed 1,593 yards on 100 receptions and 18 total touchdowns. Johnston was a force during TCU’s playoff run this past year and had 1,069 on 60 catches (with six touchdowns).

Addison did go through testing but he did not do well at his size, to then sustain a back injury (tightness in his lower back) that he didn’t want to reinjure at the Scouting Combine. Unlike Addison (who ran 4.49), Johnson decided to not run the 40-yard dash but jumped out of the gym with his 40.5″ vertical and 11’2″ broad (which were top two or three in the class).

Both at around 5’9″, Josh Downs of North Carolina and Zay Flowers of Boston College are most likely the next up who project as round-one or two receivers. With the production and play-making traits to boot, both will likely be seen as dynamic slot receivers that will stick inside due to size but teams still could take players that fit that role in the later portions of round one or early round two.

Cedric Tillman had a productive 2021 for Tennessee, but an ankle injury he suffered in the following season led to the rise of Jalin Hyatt. In 2022, Hyatt went on to have a productive season as well this past year, as both Tennessee receivers offer a different skillset, with Tillman as the physical big body, at 6’3″ and 213 lbs., and Hyatt as the speedy deep threat at 6’0″ and 176 lbs. Many thought Hyatt would run faster than 4.4 in the 40-yard dash, but both should be taken between rounds one to three of the NFL Draft.

For the wide receiver position on days two and three, teams are mostly looking at roles to fill and the player’s archetypes and body types that match up that could fill a need they have in the offense. Traits and skillsets, like any other position, are key, as there is usually depth in this position, even if the top-tier talent isn’t always present.

Guys like Tyler Scott (Cincinnati) and Marvin Mims Jr. (Oklahoma) fit the profile of smaller, but faster guys that may belong on the outside as deep threats who can also play inside as well with their size.

Nathaniel “Tank” Dell (Houston) and Rakim Jarrett (Maryland) were both versatile big-play machines in college and can be at the next level, as they project more as slot receivers due to their size. Both have sudden short area burst with enough speed that can also stretch the field, as Hunter Haas scouted both Jarrett and another receiver prospect, Charlie Jones of Purdue, that fits a similar profile.

Jones is an older prospect (24 years old) and is an above-average route runner, like Dell (23 years old), and both are smaller in stature. Jarrett, as a 22-year-old, could have similarities with a slightly bigger receiver of the same age, Rashee Rice of SMU. However, Rice is the more productive player in college, similar to Dell, but offers great ball skills, like Jarrett.

For bigger receivers that look to project on the outside, prospects like A.T. Perry (Wake Forest), Jonathan Mingo (Ole Miss), Bryce Ford-Wheaton (West Virginia), and Matt Landers (Arkansas) all possess enough speed for their size (along with other physical traits) and contested catch ability for a team to draft on days two and three of the NFL Draft.

Usually, the wide receivers overall are one of the more athletic groups at the combine. However, this year, the tight ends shined compared to previous years as a whole.

Tight End

As a group, the tight ends as a whole were all athletic and there should be a few that go in the first round and more on day two of the NFL Draft, more compared to past drafts.

While he wasn’t the fastest, for his size at 6’7″ and 264 lbs., Darnell Washington was just outside the top five with his 40-yard dash time at 4.64 seconds. With the best 20-yard shuttle time (4.08 seconds) for tight ends in the class this year, the Georgia tight end posted the 2nd-best 10-yard split (tied at 1.57 seconds) and the 4th-best bench press with 21 reps.

The freak of nature also has insane physical traits with his size, as he has the largest wing span ever for a tight end (83 3/4″) and the second-largest hands (11″) for a tight end at the Scouting Combine.

Washington was mostly a backup tight end and blocker, as he should be a way better pro than a collegiate player at the age of 21. Essentially, his measurables are of an offensive tackle with catching ability and he finished the tight end drills with this crazy catch, even though he couldn’t get both feet down.

In terms of production and the standard size of an NFL tight end, Dalton Kincaid of Utah and Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer fit the bill.

Although he didn’t test as an amazing athlete, many still think Mayer is the tight end one in this draft, as Hunter Haas, of NFL Mocks, scouted him and sees him as a late first-rounder. Both should see looks late day one or early day two of the NFL draft.

Like Kincaid, Luke Musgrave of Oregon State belongs in the same bucket, as he dealt with injuries in his collegiate career and Kincaid also didn’t test also at the Scouting Combine due to an injury.

Other day two potential options at the tight end include Iowa’s Sam LaPorta and Penn State’s Brenton Strange, who offer above-average athleticism and versatility at the position.

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A potential later-round tight-end prospect that showed out athletically includes Old Dominion’s Zack Kuntz, who had top-of-the-line numbers at basically every athletic test. At 6’7″ and 255 lbs, his vertical jump was record-breaking for someone his height at 40″.

Miami’s Will Mallory ran the fastest 40-yard dash at 4.54 for tight ends (along with top three to five numbers for the other events) as well, as teams could draft him and Kuntz late day two or early day three.

Like the tight-end group, we should see a few offensive linemen get taken in the first round like most years, as every team needs this position group as a developmental backup or day-one starter.

Offensive Line

At offensive tackle, BYU might have a potential riser after his performance at the Scouting Combine. Blake Freeland set all-time records (since 2003) at the vertical for a player at his height and weight at 6’8″ and 302 lbs.

The senior had a good showing at the Senior Bowl and posted elite or at least top-five numbers in the class with the other testing events. He had a 10-yard split of 1.68 (top five all-time), a top three all-time broad jump at 10’0″, and a 3-cone of 7.46 (top four in the class) as a potential day two or three player that is rising up draft boards.

Dawand Jones of Ohio State might not be a first-rounder, but he probably will be taken on day two.

At the Senior Bowl, at 6’8″ and 374 lbs., Jones measured in with the longest wingspan at 89.5 inches, and at the Scouting Combine, was recorded to be the biggest player out of all positions in this year’s class at the combine.

The massive offensive tackle ran a 5.35 40-yard dash, which is good for his size and length, as he also measured with 36 3/8” arms. Those physical traits alone could help his chances of being taken earlier if teams think they can develop him further as a potential starter.

Broderick Johnson of Georgia tested as one of the better athletes in this class and most likely raised his draft stock even more, as he should be a first-rounder along with the likes of Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski and Ohio State’s Paris Johnson.

For day two offensive tackle prospects, Anton Harrison out of Oklahoma also tested well, as he joins the likes of Syracuse’s Matthew Bergeron, North Dakota State’s Cody Mauch, and Tennessee’s Darnell Wright. NFL Mock’s Hunter Haas scouted Wright and sees him as an early day two selection.

At the interior offensive line positions, the top prospects as potential first-round selections include offensive guard O’Cyrus Torrence out of Florida and center John Michael Schmitz out of Minnesota.

At guard, TCU’s Steve Avila should hear his name called on day two of the draft, as the centers’ Joe Tippmann out of Wisconsin and Luke Wypler out of Ohio State should be taken around that range.

Guards that stood out with their testing at Scouting Combine as late day two-early day three prospects include UCLA’s Jon Gaines II and USC’s Andrew Vorhees for two completely different reasons. Gaines had top scores in the 20-yard shuttle (4.45 seconds) and 3-cone (7.31 seconds), along with top five scores for the rest of the athletic testing.

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Vorhees tore his ACL during the drills at the Scouting Combine, yet came back to do the bench press and did more than the rest of the class at 38 reps. That is toughness like no other.

In terms of talent, running backs that can catch the ball highlight this group, as the position is trending more toward ball carriers that can do different things to stay on the field. This running back class has more quality depth than previous years, and it starts with a first-round lock essentially.

Running Back

The running back group is pretty deep in talent all across the board. However, it is still led by most likely first-rounder Bijan Robinson. With his production (1,894 yards from scrimmage and 20 total touchdowns) and his athletic testing at his size, the Texas running back is widely considered as a top five or ten player overall in this draft. At 5’11” and 215 lbs., the junior Longhorn can be the upgrade at the position to take an offense over the hump and do it all at an elite rate.

Shaunak Harit, of NFL Mocks, scouted Robinson and considered him the top running back, a blue-chip prospect as one of the safer players in this draft.

Jahmyr Gibbs of Alabama follows suit as a potential late first or early second-round player. NFL Mocks Jonathan Lurensky scouted Gibbs and thinks he is the second-best running back in this draft. Even though he is smaller than previously thought, the best trait for the Crimson Tide ball carrier is his speed, running a 4.36 40-yard dash, and his receiving prowess.

Day two potential locks at running back that tested well and have good production include Devon Achane out of Texas A&M, who ran the fastest 40-yard dash of the group at 4.32, and UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet, who has the prototypical size and speed that teams covet.

Potential running back risers include Keaton Mitchell (East Carolina), Roschon Johnson (Texas), Chase Brown (Illinois), and Evan Hull (Northwestern). All tested well athletically for their size and can prove to be potential steals for where they are taken during the draft around day two into day three.

Day two and three potential running backs, who participated in the drills (and looked good) but did not run a 40-yard dash, include Mohamed Ibrahim (Minnesota), Tyjae Spears (Tulane), Deuce Vaughn (Kansas State), Eric Gray (Oklahoma), Kendre Miller (TCU), Travis Dye (USC), DeWayne McBride (UAB).

Both Zach Evans (Ole Miss) and Israel Abanikanda (Pitt) were both injured during training but Sean Tucker (Syracuse) did not test or do drills for an unknown reason (or at least based on what I could find, which was little to no information but most likely it was due to an injury).

NFL Mocks Hunter Haas scouted Tucker and graded him mid to late day two of the draft, as this will likely be the range of the other backs listed in this group as well.

Teams looking for different types of backs to suit their role in the offense (power, elusive, receiving) should find a plethora of options in this draft class.