NFL Draft Profile: Indianapolis Colts Select Florida QB Anthony Richardson
#15
Pos: QB
Ht: 6036
Wt: 244
Hand: 1048
Arm: 3268
Wing: 7978
40: 4.43
DOB: 5/22/2002
Hometown: Gainesville, FL
High School: Eastside
Eligibility: 2023
Anthony Richardson
Florida Gators
One-Liner:
An adroit athlete with a small sample size, if Richardson can follow up his 2021 appearances with polish and precision, he may see the biggest rise of any draft prospect come 2023.
Evaluation:
Brawny frame from head to toe. Resembles an off-ball linebacker with mass throughout the upper body and posterior chain. Sizeable height and length for the position, with an intimidating structure. Overly poised for a player with such little experience. Very comfortable in the pocket and has the instinct to step up when it collapses, or escape the impending rush. Keeps his feet aligned at all times, allowing him to deliver quickly from a sturdy base or off-platform. Shows the ability to drop his arm angle and execute passes around defenders flailing arms. Twitchy release, with pop out of his elbow, and flick of the wrist nature. Relays this into compressed throwing windows, with plus arm strength and ball location. Despite the offense, is an anticipatory thrower with multiple plays made on secondary or tertiary reads in the progression. Throws with much better touch than presumed, considering his forceful release and playstyle. Layers the ball in the middle of the field, and can zing it past the defensive back's earhole on sideline fade routes. Runaway locomotive as a ball carrier, with quality speed and explosion behind running back pad level and play strength. Takes his tole on the defense, leaving third-level defenders second-guessing in the open field. Tremendous threat in short-yardage and goal-to-go situations thanks to quarterback power and draw execution. Inexperience and rawness were most evident in his decision-making. Far too reckless with the ball, throwing into double coverage, and running with careless ball carrying. Always a threat on second-reaction plays means he can abandon the pocket too quickly, throwing on the run with less precision and regressed mechanics. Trigger happy on the tuck and run element of his game, missing open pass catchers down the field. Vision needs work, with defenders reading his body language and roaming players robbing his passes. Was down multiple scores in the LSU game and never quit, single-handily clawing his team to trim the loss to 7 from a probable blowout.
Grade:
1st Round
Background:
Anthony Richardson a Sophomore from Gainesville, Florida. Richardson made an impact for the Gators beginning his freshman year against Missouri. During his Redshirt Freshman year, he continued his success in eight games with Florida. Richardson, as a Quarterback, also has the ability to run when he does not see anything open. That shows in his career best seventy three yard touchdown run in Florida’s season opener in 2021 versus Florida Atlantic.
Quotes:
When evaluating quarterbacks, the ‘P’ word can be a dangerous proposition, as in potential. Florida signal-caller Anthony Richardson possesses all the tools necessary to be the Gators best quarterback since Tim Tebow. The phrase arm talent would best describe Richardson, who owns a howitzer for a right arm, is able to squeeze the ball into tight windows and shows adept touch on his deep balls. So why are some scouts unsure about how his skill-set translates to the next level? Experience. In limited action last season, Richardson threw for just 529 passing yards and ran for an additional 401 rushing yards, while accounting for nine touchdowns in seven games. Not exactly the numbers you would expect to see from a projected NFL franchise quarterback. Despite the lack of polish, his mobility and dual-threat agility has drawn comparisons to Cam Newton. Expectations are ultra-high in Gainesville for this hometown phenom. Now, it’s up to Richardson to deliver and prove that he can live up to the hype. A strong 2022 campaign could very well place him in contention as the number one overall pick. - Ric Serritella
“Florida QB Anthony Richardson: Stocky-built and toolsy QB that has a lot of natural gifts. Loopy throwing motion, but the ball explodes out of his hand. High-level understanding of touch and various ball speeds. Downhill/competitive runner that runs with vision.”
“Anthony Richardson from Florida is a talented kid. Wow, is he talented. If he can become consistent throwing the football, you’re going to be talking a lot about Anthony Richardson as well.”
Mel Kiper Jr. ESPN, Via Gators Online
Now, Richardson is a huge projection — the 6-foot-4, 236-pound passer played in just eight games and started once last year — and has some turnover issues. But he’s extremely talented and poised for a breakout season in his first as a full-time starter.”
Todd McShay ESPN, Via Gators Online
"How to be a pro. I learned a lot from Eli and Peyton. It also taught me how to be a coach. Shoutout to all the coaches in the world. It’s hard trying to keep up with a lot of kids like that. Going out there and connecting with different guys. Trying to pick everyone’s brain and see how they view things. It’s helpful and hopefully I can showcase that this year." -- Florida QB Anthony Richardson on what he learned from his Manning Passing Academy experience
