Anthony Richardson scouting report: Everything to know about Colts new QB

Anthony Richardson is one of the freakiest prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft and we’re breaking down the scouting report on the Florida quarterback.

In the loaded 2023 NFL Draft quarterback class headlined by Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson, the latter stands out in the group. Put plainly, the Florida quarterback is one of the freakiest draft prospects that we’ve seen in some time.

Richardson is one of the top QBs in the 2023 NFL Draft despite only starting for one year at Gainesville, which speaks to the physical tools that the signal-caller possesses. But whichever team drafts him is going to have their hands on one of the highest-upside players we’ve seen in the draft for quite some time.

What exactly will teams be working with when it comes to the quarterback? Let’s take a closer look at the Anthony Richardson scouting report for the 2023 NFL Draft.

Anthony Richardson scouting report: Height, weight, 40 time and Florida stats

Anthony Richardson is the freakiest of freaks. Measuring in at the NFL Combine at 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds, the quarterback ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds while posting a 40.5-inch vertical jump. His athleticism and size are truly unheard of as he moves more like a dominant tight end or edge rusher than what we typically think of as a quarterback.

Richardson only started one season at Florida, a disappointing overall year for the Gators. He ended the year completing only 53.8% of his passes for 2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also added 654 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground as well to his performance.

Anthony Richardson scouting report: Biggest strengths

The dynamic ability of Anthony Richardson is truly out of this world. His arm is arguably the best in the class as he can fire a true laser-beam off of any platform all the way down the field. But when you pair that with his size and athleticism, it makes for an extremely dangerous weapon for any offense. Richardson is a threat to take off at any point and can make defenders miss with his explosiveness while also having the body to absorb contact and make defenders bounce off of him as well.

More importantly, while there are some issues about his lack of experience and the development needed, Richardson’s feel for the quarterback position is underrated. His film shows a player who understands pocket presence and going through progressions, he just needs reps to further that.

Anthony Richardson scouting report: Biggest weaknesses

Accuracy and mechanics are the two big areas where Richardson needs to grow at the NFL level. His footwork is all kinds of wonky throughout his film and you can see how it affects his throws, which led to the 53.8 completion percentage. In that same light, he needs to learn to harness his arm strength and make more touch throws, not just fire off a bazooka on throws that should be lay-ups for him.

And really, so much of the weaknesses for Richardson come down to an overall lack of experience. Per PFF, he only dropped back 455 times in his entire college career. The track record for early draft picks at quarterback with that limited amount of experience isn’t great and, when you turn on the tape, so much of his decision-making, accuracy and mechanical issues, and general shortcomings that could keep him from reaching his limitless ceiling come down to that.

Anthony Richardson pro comparison

Because of the athlete Richardson is at his size, there are a lot of comparisons to Cam Newton that you’ll see, which are apt. However, I liken him more to Josh Allen. The combination of athleticism and arm strength match, as does the risk-reward nature of drafting him. Allen coming out of Wyoming was a project that needed development and Richardson, though perhaps a bit farther along after spending time in the SEC, requires similar work to reach his potential — but that potential is otherworldly, as is the case with Allen.