The Indianapolis Colts were in the market for a quarterback at No. 4 overall, and Shane Steichen has found his signal-caller of the future. With the fourth pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Indy selected former Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson.
A four-star recruit out of Eastside High School, Richardson stayed in his hometown of Gainesville to play for the Florida Gators. After flashing immense potential while splitting time at QB in 2021, Richardson’s explosive playmaking ability was on full display this past season — even despite completing just 53.8% of his passes for 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Richardson is the rawest of the four top QB prospects, but he also has the highest potential, which he showed during a historic NFL Combine performance.
Richardson is the fifth Florida quarterback selected in the first round in the Common Draft Era. He is without a doubt a high-level athlete, but he is a bit raw in some areas of his game. With the right coaching, however, his ceiling is higher than any quarterback in this class. Richardson’s 24 career passing touchdowns are the fewest by a first-round pick since Michael Vick in 2001. The potential is there, and the Colts are betting on upside.
Below is a comprehensive draft profile for Richardson, including his high school and college accolades, scouting report and NFL prospect outlook.
NFL Draft grade: B
“This should have been Will Levis. I like Richardson, but he will take time. His ceiling is amazing, but the Colts need to be patient with him. This is a boom or bust pick.” — Pete Prisco
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Anthony Richardson draft profile
- Age: 21
- Hometown: Gainesville, Florida
- Interesting fact: First Florida QB to rush for three TDs in a single game since Tim Tebow in 2008
- CBS Sports prospect ranking: No. 11 overall | No. 3 QB | 89.87 rating (Long-term starter)
NFL Combine measurements/results
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 244 lbs | Arms: 32 3/4″ | Hands: 10 1/2″
- 40-yard dash: 4.43 seconds
- 10-yard split: 1.53 seconds
- Broad jump: 10 feet, 9 inches
- Vertical jump: 40.5 inches
NFL comparison
Scouting report
Anthony Richardson has off-the-charts athleticism both in the pocket and outside of it, but he is so incredibly raw that he has a long way to go to be a starting NFL quarterback. He will leave the pocket too early and too often miss open reads to attempt more difficult throws, but when he’s locked in, he has the potential to be a franchise-altering talent.
Strengths
- Big-bodied athlete who is a threat in the run game
- Elusive in the open field despite his size; incredibly quick lateral movements to shake defenders in small area
- Next-level athleticism for QB in pocket
- Smooth, ball explodes out of hand and gets on WR in a hurry, accurately
- Rhythm thrower when he sees coverage
- Will leave pocket early at times but incredibly elusive inside pocket; ability to buy time with movements and then find open target downfield
- Consistently quick release, puts ball on WR’s face on quick throws/screens/rollouts
- Strong arm allows him to make off-platform/off-balance throws almost look easy at times
- Will look off DB, get through read and rip seam throw on time, on the face.
- Consistently keeps eyes downfield when outside the pocket
Weaknesses
- Can get antsy in pocket when there is no real pressure; needs to do a better job of standing tall
- Will sometimes drift into pressure on drop
- Footwork will need to be tightened up at the next level
- Doesn’t consistently throw with anticipation
- Doesn’t happen often but will sometimes try to play hero ball outside pocket; leads to turnover chances for the defense
- Can also be slow at times to get to second read, leading to turnover opportunities for the defense
- Will struggle at times to layer throws
College stats, accolades
Passing
| Year | Games | Completion % | Yards | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 12 | 53.8 | 2,549 | 17 | 9 |
| 2021 | 8 | 59.4 | 529 | 6 | 5 |
| 2020 | 4 | 50.0 | 27 | 1 | 1 |
Rushing
| Year | Games | Attempts | Yards | Y/A | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 12 | 103 | 654 | 6.3 | 9 |
| 2021 | 8 | 51 | 401 | 7.9 | 3 |
| 2020 | 4 | 7 | 61 | 8.7 | 0 |
Honors
- 2022 (vs. Utah): Davey O’Brien Award National Quarterback of the Week
- 2022 (vs. Utah): SEC Offensive Player of the Week
- 2021: All-SEC Freshman team
Notable statistics
- 2022 (vs. Utah): Became third QB in school history to pass for 150-plus yards and score three rushing touchdowns in the same game, joining Jesse Palmer and Tim Tebow
247Sports profile
High school: Eastside (Gainesville, Florida)
Class: 2020
Composite Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0.9204)
- National: 204 | Dual-threat QB: 9 | Florida: 30
High school accolades: Elite 11 finalist
Check out Anthony Richardson’s full 247Sports profile, here. For his MaxPreps profile, click here.
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Author: Jordan Dajani
April 27, 2023 | 9:58 pm
