2023 Dynasty Rookie Early Look: Anthony Richardson, QB Florida

After 2022 saw only Kenny Pickett get drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, be prepared to see multiple signal-callers get selected in round one of 2023, adding talent to your superflex squads.

We have already looked at Bryce Young and CJ Stroud, the consensus QB1 and QB2 of this year’s draft, and both likely top-five overall picks.

While not as polished as Young or Stroud, Anthony Richardson possesses the rare size and speed combination at the position that has NFL GMs salivating at the upside. With the right landing spot, Richardson could develop into something special – a player we haven’t seen since Cam Newton’s MVP season.

Recruitment

Courtesy of 247 Sports.

Richardson didn’t have quite the high school statistics that most would connect to a top-level prospect. An injury to his right arm/shoulder cut his senior season short. It was unfortunate as he was being filmed for the Netflix show “QB1” when the injury occurred – as one of the top QB recruits in the nation. Richardson was consistently ranked as a four-star recruit who placed at the top of the QB lists in his class.

Then 6’4” and 224 lbs, he was recruited early to Florida where he committed and then re-committed during his recruitment process. As a dual-threat QB, Richardson threw for 4,633 yards and 37 touchdowns and rushed for 1,633 yards and 41 TDs during his high school career.

Courtesy of Max Preps.

Collegiate Career

Courtesy of Sports Reference.

The passing numbers are nothing to truly get excited about. Richardson at this stage of his career is not on the level of Young or Stroud. You see the talent though that has scouts excited. He can make big-time deep throws and has the ability to move around the pocket when under duress.

In a straight comparison, Richardson does not compete with the statistics of the top signal-callers. But, the Florida offense wasn’t stacked with weapons like either Ohio State or Alabama.

Athletic Profile

Measurements from 247Sports.

Richardson is that prototype build that has scouts salivating. Standing next to Stroud and Young, Richardson will look the part of the superhero signal-caller. He has been reported to have run a 4.4 40-yard dash and is squatting 500 pounds and power cleaning 325 pounds. Those are elite numbers for any athlete.

Strengths

• Arm talent. He has an absolute cannon, with a quick delivery able to change arm angles and velocity.
• Able to break tackles like Mike Alstott and works well out of bootlegs throwing with accuracy and velocity.
• Height – able to scan the field, and moves well within the pocket for a taller QB.
• Upside. Improving each season on his ability to work through progressions.

Weaknesses

• Still needs work with decision-making and pre-snap adjustments.
• Issues with his mechanics and footwork. Will throw off his backfoot which leads to accuracy and velocity issues.
• Throws high often. But a problem that can be fixed with better footwork.

Draft Value

Courtesy of NFL Mock Draft Database.

Upside. That is what will push Richardson up in the draft. Scouts will love his combine and his Pro Day at Florida will likely feature those throws that hyped Zach Wilson and Malik Willis.

Consensus has Richardson landing in Seattle, and as a Seahawks fan I would love to see him come to a situation where he can sit behind Geno Smith. Richardson will benefit from playing in an offense that allows him to utilize a run game with play action and then throw off that and utilize the read option and bootlegs to threaten defenses with his rushing ability. He sounds like a perfect Pete Carroll QB.

Dynasty Outlook

Those who play in one-QB league can wait on Richardson. He will be taken behind Young, Stroud, and possibly Will Levis leaving him as a later pick for one-QB leagues. It is also likely and best for him to sit for a year which will limit his upside to owners without deeper benches.

With a healthy amount of QB talent, some talented WRs, and the transcendent talent of Bijan Robinson, you will likely even see Richardson fall in superflex drafts for all the reasons mentioned above. Richardson will be best served sitting a year which is also likely to push him down in rookie drafts.

Here at DLF, our rookie rankings have Richardson as the third-ranked QB after the consensus number one Young and number two Stroud. In superflex drafts, you will likely need to draft Richardson in round one and he is perfect for a team who can afford to sit him for a year.

Richardson’s potential will dazzle scouts this off-season and he will likely become a fantasy darling as players see someone with the build of Cam Newton and the speed of Lamar Jackson. Add in that cannon of an arm that will be put on repeat from his Pro Day and you can be assured this isn’t the last article you’ll be reading on the uber-talented prospect out of Florida.