10 Games Prove Anthony Richardson is a Bust

Florida’s Anthony Richardson is the most polarizing prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Some believe this quarterback (QB) should go first overall, while others, including myself and a number of NFL Coaches polled at the Scouting Combine, believe he is extremely raw.

Outside of that, Richardson is a very likable young man, further illustrated in a recent feature story by one of our writers, Victoria Jonach.

All of this makes him one of the more difficult evaluations I’ve done.

Looking back

Prior to this last season, Richardson had played in seven games for the Gators in 2021 (38/64 for 529 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions). In 2020, he appeared in three games (two completions).

This limited background is similar to QB Trey Lance in the 2021 NFL Draft when the 49ers’ selected him No. 3 overall.

Leading up to this evaluation, I had evaluated Richardson in six games (2021: LSU 2022: Utah, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and FSU) and graded him as a fifth-round prospect in two previous articles, “Former NFL Scout Says Anthony Richardson Looks Like A Bust,” and “Anthony Richardson: Nothing More Than a Glorified Option Quarterback.”

I’m doing something different with this article, providing a game-by-game break down in the four games being added to his evaluation.

#15 Anthony Richardson 6-foot-4, 234 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2023 NFL Draft Grade: Fifth-Round (I would select him)

Summary from these four games:

Athletic inconsistent passer who is a tough runner and has a tendency to consistently make bad decisions. Good ball handling and pocket escapability. Instincts are to take off running. Inconsistent release time and ball placement (short, medium, and deep). Tends to consistently throw dangerous passes in each game. Tough and productive runner. Best throwing short. Does well under the least amount of pressure (game situations and pass rush). Struggles most under pressure (game situations and pass rush). Does his best when accompanied by a strong running back performance.

Anthony Richardson vs. Eastern Washington

Date of game: October 2, 2022

Stats: 8/10, 240 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception

A good game throwing, which started with a beautiful 75-yard touchdown. He spent the rest of the afternoon throwing good-looking passes to the intermediate route level. There was one bad decision throwing deep into quadruple coverage, resulting in an interception.

Richardson had one carry running for 45 yards. There wasn’t much need to throw, as the Gators rushed for 274 yards.

Anthony Richardson vs. Missouri

Date of game: October 8, 2022

Stats: 8/14, 66 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception

Outside of a beautiful rollout to the right on a 20-yard-touchdown into traffic, all he was able to do was hand the ball off and complete short passes. Even that was a chore sometimes, as he misfired on a couple of wide-receiver bubble routes. There were three risky passes (one bad decision) over the middle at the intermediate level, which was placed high and ended up being intercepted. There was a fumble trying to make something happen, as he was getting sacked (bad decision).

He couple of nice runs, but his 4.43 Scouting Combine speed didn’t translate to him being able to win the edges.

Richardson was a game manager in this contest.

Anthony Richardson vs. LSU

Date of game: October 15, 2022

Stats: 15/25, 185 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions

LSU’s game plan of applying constant pressure made Richardson look consistently uncomfortable in the pocket. This game is a classic example of why he is an athlete first and a quarterback second, who tends to hold the ball too long.

Two bad decisions stand out, one was a throw that went off of an LSU’s defenders’ hands and another time he decided to try to throw as he was getting hit head-on, causing him to fumble.

Ball placement was inconsistent at all three route levels after opening the game with a beautiful long touchdown pass. It was a very strong game for him running the ball.

Anthony Richardson vs. Texas A&M

Date of game: November 5, 2022

Stats: 17/28, 201 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions

A game of mixed results throwing. There were three dangerous passes that could’ve harmed Florida, but they didn’t. He misfired on three short passes, and there were a couple of plays he held the ball too long and everything broke down. The highlight was his intermediate throws.

Richardson had a couple of nice runs (including a long of 60 yards) and he looked tough.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated New York Jets and he is the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock.