Falcons Meet with Florida QB Anthony Richardson; No. 8 Pick?
The Atlanta Falcons lack a proven star quarterback on their roster but may have attended the Florida Gators Pro Day with the intention of finding one in Anthony Richardson.
Projected to be an early first-round draft selection, Richardson informed the media that Atlanta has a meeting scheduled with him in the near future.
At the NFL Combine, Richardson wowed scouts with his record-setting athleticism. Measuring in at 6-4, 244 pounds, Richardson would go on to garner comparisons to an alien by testing out of this world, running an official 4.43 in the 40-yard dash, recording a 40.5-inch vertical (setting a Combine record for quarterbacks) and a 10-foot-9 broad jump (longest jump by a quarterback since 1999).
Richardson picked up at his Pro Day, where he’d left off at the Combine, this time going viral for his arm strength which was demonstrated as he hit the ceiling of the Gators' dome while throwing a deep pass and again when he completed a pass 74 yards.
As a prospect, Richardson is polarizing. Widely believed to possess the highest ceiling amongst quarterbacks in this draft class, he also enters the league with the lowest floor.
Despite his otherworldly athleticism, Richardson is an unproven passer. Unable to win Florida's full-time starting job until his junior season, Richardson would fail to throw a touchdown pass until week four of the season and completed only 53.8 percent of his passes.
In last year's NFL Draft, the Falcons selected Desmond Ridder in the third round. Ridder started the Falcons’ final four regular season games, posting an average Quarterback Rating of 99.2 percent but throwing for only two touchdowns en route to becoming 2-2 overall as a starter. Should they select Richardson No. 8 overall, they'd be moving on from Ridder before giving him time to develop.
If Atlanta drafts Richardson, he would be reuniting his former teammate, tight end Kyle Pitts giving him some familiarity on the Falcons roster as he'd likely be forced to sit and learn from the team's free agent addition, former Washington Commanders starter Taylor Heinicke.
Pending a strong interview with Atlanta's front office, the "Dirty Birds" may draft the freakishly athletic Gators quarterback come April's draft, making this situation worth monitoring as the NFL offseason continues.
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