2023 NFL Draft: Bryce Young, CJ Stroud Lead Updated Top 10 QB Rankings
By Hunter Haas
QB3: Anthony Richardson (Florida)
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 244 pounds
DOB: 5-22-2001 (21 years old)
Good Stat: 19 big-time throws in 2022
Bad Stat: 53.9% completion (in career)
Anthony Richardson has become the most polarizing NFL Draft prospect in recent memory. His tape is undoubtedly a roller coaster, with some inexcusable misses scattered throughout. But, he also owns some of the best throws I’ve ever seen — period.
Richardson never started full-time until 2022, so the amount of game film on him as a quarterback is lacking. The rawness and inexperience reared their head consistently in his first year as the starter in Gainesville.
Richardson sailed throws to wide-open receivers and is known to snipe a kneecap a few times a game. It’s like he owns a car with 800 horsepower but doesn’t know how to drive it. If NFL coaches can look at his top plays and bring those out more, Richardson can actually live up to his impossible “Josh Allen” comparison.
Like Allen, Richardson is a rocket-arm quarterback built like a brick house. He can run past you with his 4.4 speed, through you with his 244-pound frame, or maybe even over you with his 40+ inch vertical.
The most slept-on part of Richardson’s game is his eye usage. While he is raw in other facets as a passer, he is elite at looking off defenders and disguising his reads. Richardson maneuvers the pocket incredibly well during this, almost like he has sensors to move away from oncoming pass rushers.
The easy misses are infuriating, though. There are throws every game that he simply cannot miss in the NFL. A vast majority of these misses can be chalked up to velocity control and timing. It is hard to teach anticipation on throws; some people have it — or they don’t.
Richardson can smooth out these rough edges with more on-field experience and competent NFL coaching. He may never be the most accurate passer in the league, but with his otherworldly blend of athleticism and arm talent, it would be foolish to be out on Richardson on day one.
He grades out as a late-day one player on my big board, but I would be shocked to see him make it outside the top five in the 2023 NFL Draft. It will require a lot of work on Richardson’s part and the coaching staff, but a path to being a top player in the NFL is there. Like Levis, he needs a spot that won’t ask him to carry the team to victory as a rookie.
NFL Draft Grade: Mid-to-Late Day One