Anthony Richardson: Beyond the Tools

First Round Mock’s John Fahmy evaluates Florida’s quarterback Anthony Richardson and comes up with his own conclusion based on studying the game film.

 “The elusiveness of Lamar Jackson!”

“A bust like Zach Wilson!”

“Next Malik Willis?”

“Josh Allen 2.0!”

Richardson is polarizing for a reason

When it comes to Florida’s Anthony Richardson, comparisons such as these have been made ad nauseam. It is often fair to make comparisons regarding specific measurables or traits, but holistic comparisons are but a wasted effort at simplifying the complex process of player evaluation.

The evaluation of physical tools alone, while accurate at times, is rudimentary. Any untrained eye could watch Richardson sling a football eighty yards and identify that he has a strong arm. The question becomes, how this can translate to the field in the NFL? When investing capital into a potential franchise quarterback, a front office ideally wants to be confident that these athletic traits will not only make exciting highlights, but also pay off in the form of quality quarterback play. Richardson is unquestionably a world-class athlete, but it is apparent that there are some holes in his quarterback game – ones that will assuredly leave NFL scouts perplexed.

Clean Pocket Progressions

It is worth mentioning before beginning this section that Richardson’s offensive line in Gainesville was not particularly great in pass protection. Richardson found himself unable to stand in the pocket and work through his progressions. With that said, even on the occasional passing down where he was given ample time in the pocket, Richardson would still sometimes lock onto his first read. Rather than work through the designed pass concept, I noticed him frequently locking eyes onto a target. While this paid off in some cases, he would sometimes force a ball into coverage, or overthrow it too.

If he can learn to settle down and work through his progressions carefully, this can be avoided.

Once again, Richardson was under duress frequently. It is excusable that he would feel pressured to get rid of the ball quickly, as he was accustomed to pressure reaching him quickly.

I believe it is vital for Richardson’s success for him to be in a situation in the NFL where he will be given ample time in the pocket on most passing downs.

How his tools translate

Tools, tools, tools.

I won’t dwell on this too long because we all know he has them. But what can he do with them? Richardson has very advanced mechanics. When you pair those mechanics with his strong arm, you get a quarterback that can flick the ball halfway across the field. This arm of his will need to be tamed, however, as I noted him often overthrowing deep balls. If he can get this under control, that arm will be an invaluable asset on game days.

His elusiveness and athleticism in the open field is also very evident on tape. Richardson possesses the physical traits necessary to do all of this, and is very dynamic in this regard.

The ideal situation

Richardson has been mocked to both Carolina and Houston at picks one and two, respectively. One or both of these front offices could find themselves infatuated with the potential in Richardson’s development. However, it may be worth a second thought before turning in the card. In my eyes, Richardson’s success is heavily contingent on a good offensive line and a good coaching staff. It would be ideal for Richardson to enter the league in a situation where there are already pieces offensively, and a coaching staff that can help him develop. Being cast to the wolves week one behind a poor offensive line would heavily stunt his development. Ideally, I would like to see Richardson selected to a franchise that would allow him to sit behind a more experienced quarterback for a year.

The bottom line

Valuation: First round, contingent on situation

Games Evaluated:

Georgia 2022

South Carolina 2022

Tennessee 2022

Utah 2022

Florida State 2022

Conclusion

Let’s pump the brakes on the comparisons.

Anthony Richardson is Anthony Richardson, and the player comparisons are a fool’s errand.

John Fahmy is a NFL Draft and film evaluation fanatic who currently writes for FirstRoundMock.com. An aspiring player personnel executive and avid writer, John has written dozens of scouting reports on NFL Draft prospects over the years and formed a few connections within the NFL and NCAA. He always loves to learn more about the game of football and its Xs and Os, with a focus on pass coverage on the defensive side of the ball.