Anthony Richardson, QB Florida: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Richardson was a four-star recruit from Eastside High School in Gainesville, Fla. in the class of 2020

Anthony Richardson is one of the best overall athletes in college football. The 6'4", 232 lb. redshirt sophomore is an explosive and powerful runner who has already earned some comparisons to Cam Newton. We’ll see if Richardson can live up to the hype during his first year as a full-time collegiate starter and become a legitimate 2023 NFL Draft prospect.

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Anthony Richardson, QB Florida: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt sophomore quarterback from Gainesville, Fla.

Background: Richardson was a four-star recruit from Eastside High School in Gainesville, Fla. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 204 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 200 for Rivals, and No. 208 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 183rd in the nation with an 82 grade out of 100. ESPN recorded Richardson running a 4.94 40-yard dash in high school. During his high school career, Richardson produced 4,633 passing yards, 37 passing touchdowns, 1,633 rushing yards, and 41 rushing touchdowns. He threw for 1,398 yards, eight touchdowns, and one interception as a high school senior. Richardson produced 1,567 passing yards and 17 touchdowns and ran for 924 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior. He also played varsity basketball, averaging 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a junior. Richardson committed to and decommitted from Florida before recommitting several months later.

2021 Production: 8 games, 64 attempts, 38 completions, 529 yards, 6 touchdowns, 5 interceptions + 51 carries, 401 yards, 3 touchdowns

2020 Production: 4 games, 2 attempts, 1 completion, 27 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception + 7 carries, 61 yards (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: Underwent knee surgery late in the season (2021) stemming from a meniscus tear he suffered in high school

Awards: 2021 Freshman Team All-SEC

Pros: Throwing motion doesn’t have any hitches and release is quick, massive frame that carries good power in the running game, Richardson moves exceptionally well at his size (agility, cuts, redirecting, spins, etc.), his acceleration is rare among quarterbacks, aggressive runner who finishes falling forward, puts excellent velocity on the football, had some pinpoint throws against LSU (2021) that just made you smile, showed improvement in working through progressions during Florida’s spring game, fakes the run to draw defenses forward and throw over the top, terrific arm talent capable of hitting the home run shots and driving the ball into small windows

Cons: Under 70 career pass attempts, total traits-based projection, one fumble in 2020 and two in 2021 despite limited touches, unorthodox throwing motion (it’s a short loop) that contains some unnecessary movement, stares down wide receivers which allows defensive backs to drive on the route, late to recognize the open man and shows beginner level anticipation, field vision shows his inexperience, feet can get stagnant in the pocket, tucks to run too soon at times, decision-making hasn’t evolved yet (see second interception vs. LSU), plenty to learn in diagnosing defenses pre-snap and going through post-snap progressions, needs to become more consistent when creating off platform, pocket presence is a work in progress, puts a little too much air under some deep throws, needs to set his base more often, touch is inconsistent

Overview: Richardson is unofficially listed at 6'4", 232 lbs. He performed well in a limited sample size last year considering he faced pressure on nearly 40% of his drop backs. Richardson’s athleticism, creativity, and power as a runner are exciting. There will be slower, stiffer running backs in this draft class than Richardson. At the very least, his acceleration and burst make him just as dangerous of a runner as some of the Day 2 running backs in this class. While I feel confident in projecting Richardson as a runner to the NFL, he’s just beginning to learn to play quarterback at a high level. There are glimpses of his arm talent, perfectly placed throws, and working through progressions, but Richardson suffers from many of the flaws that plague inexperienced quarterbacks. He telegraphs throws, makes some poor decisions, hasn’t mastered the pocket, and doesn’t consistently see the whole field. Richardson is also working to improve at reading defenses and working fully through his progressions without staring down receivers. He might need to adjust some of his throwing mechanics as well to eliminate a loop in his throwing motion and fix his footwork.

Overall, Richardson is worth taking a late Day 2 flier on because of his rare physical traits and flashes of greatness. However, he’s largely a projection as a passer at this point and might benefit from returning to college for the 2023 season. 

Role & Scheme Fit: Any offense that heavily utilizes RPOs

Round Projection: Late Third to Mid Fourth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 07-31-22