Anthony Richardson lands here in USA TODAY Sports’ latest NFL mock draft
A little over a month remains until the 2023 edition of the NFL draft, which will be held in Kansas City, Missouri, from April 27-29 and now that the free agency rush is essentially over, the projected selections for each franchise have become a bit more clear. However, the draft order can still be shaken up with a blockbuster trade or two, so a lot can still happen over the next five weeks.
USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis published his latest first-round mock draft on Wednesday, peering into his crystal ball to see where top collegiate athletes kick off their professional careers. Among those mentioned was Florida’s star quarterback Anthony Richardson, who he has selected fourth overall by the Indianapolis Colts. Here is what he had to offer on the Gators gunslinger.
The self-styled “Cam Jackson” blew up the combine as a bit of a Cam Newton-Lamar Jackson hybrid. At 6-4, 244 pounds, Richardson blazed a 4.43-second 40-yard dash and hit combine quarterback records with a vertical jump of 40½ inches and a broad jump of 10 feet, 9 inches. So though he’s lacking in experience (13 starts for the Gators), Richardson’s physical tools – to include a bazooka of an arm that was also on full display – are very likely to land him in the top 10 … at the very least. He’d be quite a departure from the pocket passers Indy has largely been reliant on in recent seasons, but the Colts’ options were instantly limited after the Panthers jumped them. Yet new HC Shane Steichen might be the perfect man to shape Richardson given the success he had with Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia. And with veteran QB Gardner Minshew II now in the fold, the Colts have another guy who could teach Richardson the offense and even start indefinitely if the 21-year-old isn’t ready to play … even if that means the entire 2023 season.
Previous UF alumni taken in the first round of the draft are cornerback Kaiir Elam (2022, No. 23), tight end Kyle Pitts (2021, No. 4), wide receiver Kadarius Toney (2021, No. 20) and cornerback CJ Henderson (2020, No. 9).
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