Buccaneers Take a Quarterback in Recent 2023 NFL Mock Draft
The 2022 NFL season is hitting its' final stretch right before the playoffs. There is never a bad time to start doing mock drafts around this time of year and according to a CBS Sports 1st-round mock draft for the 2023 draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will look to add a quarterback in hopes of becoming the organization's QB of the future.
Examining 2023's quarterback draft class, it doesn't seem all that deep as we have seen in previous classes. Yes, the top of the class provides top-end talent at the position, but outside of maybe Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, and Tennessee's Hendon Hooker the cream of the crop sees a significant drop off.
With the fall off from the previous three I mentioned, teams can begin to look for guys that can be developed or have the most talent/physical tools to one day become a generational quarterback. Some of the names circulation after the top three are Will Levis, DJ Uiagalelei, Grayson McCall, Spencer Rattler, Anthony Richardson, and Tyler Van Dyke.
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According to Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will look to draft perhaps the quarterback with the most upside and physical traits to hopefully propel him into one of the best quarterbacks in the league, University of Florida's Anthony Richardson with the 24th pick in the draft.
"Does Tom Brady finally retire after the season? Even if he does, Kyle Trask can run the offense in '23 and then Anthony Richardson could take over the starting job. Richardson could end up returning to Florida, but whatever happens, he's one of the most exciting prospects in this class. Yes, he's short on experience, but his physical tools are rare."
The question mark around who will be the quarterback for the Buccaneers once Tom Brady either decides to retire or leave for a new team has been constant since the quarterback returned from his first retirement. There have been trade scenarios and free agent talk about who should be the guy following the short Tom Brady era in Tampa Bay, however, it is important to also acknowledge that the Buccaneers could and maybe should look towards the draft rather than in a trade or free agency.
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Richardson is an interesting prospect here as he is extremely young and provides such a raw talent. He is able to enter the draft this season, but there are question marks when it comes to his passing ability. During his time with the Gators, Richardson has shown that he possesses a unique set of tools to the quarterback position. He has elite speed, size, and unmatched arm strength. Richardson, overall, is a playmaker and will give his team a shot to win the game no matter what.
The question with Richardson is whether will he be able to develop as a passer in the NFL, specifically when it comes to his accuracy. He has a ton of intangibles, but again, Richardson is an extremely raw and young quarterback who has much to learn. For the Buccaneers, it would be interesting to see if they are willing to draft Richardson and let him sit behind the likes of a veteran. If they are willing to do that and Richardson is up to the task, it is not hard to see this move working out for the Bucs later down the road.
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