1 surprise weapon to help Anthony Richardson, CJ Stroud and Bryce Young succeed as rookies

Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, and Anthony Richardson are in line to start during their rookie seasons. Here is one weapon that can help each of them succeed this year.

Every time the NFL Draft comes around, fans wonder where the top quarterback prospects are going to spend the beginning of their seasons. While 2022 was a rough class for quarterbacks, the 2023 class had much more star power, so there was more urgency for teams to draft one of them. These prospects were Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, and Florida’s Anthony Richardson.  Young was selected by the Carolina Panthers, Stroud drafted by the Houston Texans, and Richardson taken by the Indianapolis Colts.

This past weekend, all three took part in their first preseason games. As is the case, there were ups and downs for each of them. All three of them are in line to start this upcoming season. Young was named the starter in the opening days of training camp, Richardson was named the QB1 on Tuesday, and Stroud is competing with Davis Mills.

Considering that fans will be watching all of them take meaningful NFL snaps this season. As is the case, rookie signal callers are going to need some help to ensure they can succeed. Here is one player on each team that can help these rookie quarterbacks.

1 weapon who can help Anthony Richardson: WR Josh Downs

For Richardson, he may have the highest upside of all of his fellow rookie quarterbacks. He has ridiculous arm power and the ability to make plays on the run. The thing is, he had his share of struggles in his lone season as the starter at Florida this past year. But, he has a coach that can probably get the most out of him in Shane Steichen, who helped develop Jalen Hurts as a legitimate top 10 quarterback during his time as Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator.

As for a player who can help him, it probably would have been running back Jonathan Taylor. However, his status with the team is in flux, as he demanded a trade from the team, which has not been accepted by owner Jim Irsay.

While Michael Pittman Jr. is a name that fans will list as a weapon at wide receiver, we’re actually going to go with Josh Downs.

Playing at North Carolina, Downs has shown to be a more than capable option in the slot. Not to mention, he rarely drops the football when it’s thrown his way. This past season, Downs caught 94-of-116 targets for 1,029 yards. In 2021, Downs caught 101 passes for 1,335 yards and eight touchdowns on 144 targets.

In the team’s first preseason game, Downs caught both of his targets for 29 yards.

If given the opportunity, Downs could present himself as a reliable, middle of the fieldmiddle-of-the-field option for Richardson.