Seahawks Draft Profile: Does Anthony Richardson Warrant Top-Five Selection?
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With the 2023 NFL Draft set to kick off in Kansas City on Thursday, April 27, the Seattle Seahawks will have a chance to take another big step forward following a surprise playoff berth with four picks in the first 52 selections, including a top-five pick for the first time since 2009.
Over the next month leading up to draft weekend, the AllSeahawks.com writing staff will dish out in-depth profiles on numerous prospects who could be targets on Seattle's big board as the franchise aims to open a window for Super Bowl contention.
Continuing the series, the Seahawks have been connected to Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson since the NFL combine even after re-signing veteran starter Geno Smith. Would his upside and immense physical tools make him worth a top five pick in the upcoming draft?
Background
Though he missed a chunk of his senior season due to injury, Richardson became one of the most sought after quarterbacks in the country out of Eastside High School, opting to stay in Gainesville joining the Gators. Stuck behind starter Emory Jones, he only attempted two passes as a freshman before taking a redshirt and saw limited snaps in eight games in 2021. With Jones departing for Arizona State, he took over as the full time starter as a redshirt sophomore, throwing for 2,549 yards and 17 touchdowns while rushing for 654 yards and nine touchdowns. After deciding not to play in Florida's bowl game, he declared as an early entrant for the draft and put on a show at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, running a 4.43 40-yard dash and posting a 40 1/2-inch vertical jump.
Strengths
Possessing rare size for the position at 6'4, 244 pounds, Richardson launches the ball from the pocket effortlessly, displaying elite arm strength to connect with receivers on deep patterns as well as threading the needle into tight windows in the short to intermediate game. When his mechanics are on point, he has a quick release and with the flick of his wrist, he can deliver bullets to all levels of the field and complete passes with plenty of zip when getting hit.
Despite starting only 12 games at the college level, Richardson already has developed a pro-caliber pocket presence progressing through his reads, anticipating throwing windows, and feeling oncoming pressure with an acquired sixth sense. While capable of escaping as a dynamic runner when he has to, he keeps his eyes downfield when evading pressure and remains a passer first, allowing him to create big plays with his arm when the pocket collapses.
An excellent play action quarterback with a moving pocket, Richardson excels on bootleg and rollout concepts, consistently firing darts off platform and exhibiting the ability to process multiple reads on the move. Showcasing maturity for a player with limited experience, he also regularly made opponents pay by stopping his rollout and stepping up in the pocket to loft perfect strikes downfield after identifying soft spots in coverage.
Arguably the most athletic quarterback ever to enter the NFL, Richardson's speed and explosiveness open up a world of possibilities for a coordinator to implement a dangerous QB run game featuring power, counters, read options, and other concepts. Aside from having 4.4 speed to run away from defenders, his unique build makes him difficult to bring down and per Pro Football Focus, he forced a whopping 39 forced missed tackles as a ball carrier in 2022.
Weaknesses
Completing under 54 percent of his pass attempts in 2022, Richardson didn't receive much help from receivers at times with 14 dropped passes. At the same time, however, inconsistent mechanics played a far bigger role in his roller coaster accuracy. Most frequently, erratic footwork, failure to step into his throw, and dropping his elbow led to airmailed throws, while a narrow base led to skipping plenty of footballs short of his target.
Sometimes relying too much on his arm strength rather than finessing the football to receivers, in part due to the aforementioned hitches in his throwing motion, Richardson struggled to throw with touch throughout his lone season as a starter. Unable to feather the football over the top consistently to throw receivers open downfield, though he still threw for 1,000 yards on deep balls, he left many potential big plays on the field with overthrows.
Though he made steady improvements as the season progressed last year from a decision-making standpoint, Richardson has a tendency to try to do too much when extending plays. Rather than taking a sack or throwing the football away to live to fight another down, he occasionally uncorked bad throws into tight coverage that led to ugly turnovers, including a pick six in a home loss to Kentucky.
Fit in Seattle
Unlike three of the teams ahead of them in the top five, the Seahawks don't have to force the issue seeking a franchise quarterback. With Smith back under center after throwing 30 touchdown passes and earning his first Pro Bowl nod last season, the team should be in good hands for at least the short term in the NFC West.
However, as general manager John Schneider so eloquently stated at the combine, quarterbacks don't grow on trees and Seattle has not picked this high during the draft since before he arrived in 2010. With the expectation that the team will be competing for championships instead of positioning for a top 10 pick moving forward, this may be the best and only chance to snag a top-tier prospect at the position.
In the case of Richardson, few, if any, players have ever come into the league with his size, speed, and arm talent. Obviously, his lack of starting experience and low completion percentage create legitimate causes for concern. But at the same time, he has shown more than enough polish as a pocket passer to suggest he will be able to get the job done at the next level and his knack for theatrics extending plays as a passer and runner give him a ceiling beyond the clouds with proper coaching.
If the Seahawks have a chance to draft Richardson, which may be a big if with the quarterback-needy Panthers, Texans, and Colts in front of them, nobody should bat an eye if Schneider decides to pull the trigger. In an ideal situation where he doesn't have to play early while learning behind Smith, it would be the best possible landing spot for him to develop and fulfill his potential.
Previous Seahawks Draft Profiles
Jalen Carter | Tyree Wilson | Will Anderson Jr.
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