A Deeper Look: Why Anthony Richardson is my #1 prospect
What I saw in Anthony Richardson that only made me like his game more
Two months ago, I had Anthony Richardson at QB2 and Bryce Young at QB1. That is no longer the case. Richardson is a dual threat QB coming out of the wonderful swampland of Gainesville, Florida. Richardson grew up in Gainesville as well as attended his hometown University of Florida. The 21 year old hometown hero is poised to be selected in the 1st round of the NFL Draft after a prosperous first year as the starting QB at Florida. Taking over for the transferred Emory Jones (ASU legend), Richardson had a largely pedestrian season. None of his statistics jump off the page, he only threw for 2300 yards, he only ran for 650, he only scored 26 total touchdowns (17 passing 9 rushing). The question has to be asked: Where is this hype and love coming from? Richardson excels in one area better than any QB in this class, running.
(DISCLAIMER: I reference quite a few twitter clips in this article, all are linked in text to get a better understanding of what I am referencing.)
QB Anthony Richardson, Florida: 6’4 230 lbs 21 years old
Running:
Richardson is looking like a perfect candidate to become the greatest rushing QB in NFL history. He has every trait wanted from a rushing QB with his Size, Speed, Aggressiveness, Awareness, and Strength. He knows how to avoid hits, he is big enough to take hits, he’s aggressive enough to run through players, and he has a masters degree in having an internal play clock. NFL OC’s can master an RPO offense, along side the ability to be elite in the scramble drill. His ability to pick up first downs better than anyone else besides Lamar Jackson and Justin Fields with his feet should make him a first round pick alone (it made Fields a top 11 pick despite having an almond for a brain) He can also do backflips.
Accuracy:
On paper, Richardson has sketchy accuracy. Scouts continue to say, he is erratic, inconsistent, and doesn’t understand ball placement. However, I strongly disagree. I would not call Richardson’s accuracy a strength, but I think this is a very much over blown trait in Richardson’s game. His accuracy is very solid, not good, not great, but not a flaw. Here is Richardson throwing on a PA Boot Roll out hitting the deep drag in the back of the end zone. One of the biggest detractors on Richardson have been his shady box score statistics. Box score watchers are quick to call Richardson inaccurate due to his lower completion percentage, but I am here to tell you that this JV roster that Florida continued to roll out with Richardson did him no favors. Here is a compilation of embarrassing drops from Florida WRs on VERY catchable football passes from Anthony Richardson. Richardson struggles to consistently hit deeper throws, especially up the sideline, but does a good job going deep over the middle. He can hit the easy throws and will have the stats to back this due to obviously having more competent receivers.
Arm Talent:
Richardson’s best trait is his pure arm talent. Richardson’s arm is so incredibly strong, perfect arm action, a quick release, and can make throws in so many different slots. Richardson has been documented throwing 75 yards downfield in the air in game, as well as hitting a ridiculous 58 mph in training camp. Even the likes of Brett Kollmann have been distracted by the wondrous things Richardson’s arm is capable of. Richardson’s massive arm is going to make him the most coveted player in this draft class. Look at this godly Shrine Bowl pass.
Mechanics:
Anthony Richardson’s biggest flaw in many scouts eyes has been his inconsistent and raw mechanics. Richardson’s mechanics have led him to have very concerning misses in his brief collegiate career. As shown in this clip from twitter, Richardson does not have the muscle memory of his own footwork up to par. He is wildly inaccurate when throwing on the run, and is erratic when hit with pressure. These are all things can be and have been ironed out by NFL Qb coaches in the past and certainly can be the case with Richardson. On the bright side, Richardson is masterful when working a 5 step drop/hitch. Here is a clip of Richardson absolutely lasering the football to former Sun Devil Ricky Pearsall with perfect timing, anticipation, and footwork. Richardson clearly has a great foundation and is in a great starting point to accelerate his mechanical overhaul and looks like he has great potential to iron out the wrinkles in his game at the next level. Great throw here by the way.
Pocket Presence and Progressions:
Likely the most interesting aspect of Richardson’s game, pocket presence and reading the field is somewhat of a mystery with Richardson. How does his running game translate with this traits as a passer? How will defenses adjust to this speed and athleticism? Richardson has this unbelievable ability to dance around in the pocket unlike nearly any other QB you have ever seen and get throws off at crazy angles. This type of throw has only really been seen done consistently by only a handful QBs in league history, some being Patrick Mahomes, Trey Lance (this is one of the most ridiculous throws ever), and Zach Wilson. Quite the company of arm strength and athleticism with in my opinion the greatest QB of all time, My favorite QB right now who hasn't received much of an opportunity, and a QB who keeps looking like a draft bust due to pocket negligence and awful decision making. Richardson’s pocket presence allows him the ability to scrambler when necessary and does a great job of stepping up in the pocket when collapsed. While he does his first read well, Richardson struggles to move on to his 2nd option without scrambling and breaking the pocket. However as the season neared an end, he showed a huge leap in his ability to read the entire field. Richardson began to display his full utilization as a pure pocket passer, adding to his dynamic abilities as a rusher.
When Thursday April 27th rolls around and Anthony Richardson is taken #2 overall by the Houston Texans or #1 overall by whoever trades with the Bears, you will completely understand and know why because you read this article about what makes Anthony Richardson the best player and prospect in this draft class.