Anthony Richardson is a Bust According to Former NFL Scout

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

That’s because of the contrast between the media hype surrounding this quarterback (QB) and the game film he has produced.

The number one question I ask myself when evaluating college prospects is, “How does what I’m watching translate to what I’ve seen succeed in the NFL?”

I have now studied every one of Richardson’s plays this past season (embedded below) and it doesn’t.

I can’t afford to do this for clicks either. For one, there are no ads on the site, and for two, I’m trying to get back into the league as a scout.

Statistics further confirm the game film. Richardson had a 53.8% completion percentage last season. That number ranks at or near the bottom of the NFL over the past decade (and those are his college numbers).

Trey Lance 2.0

Richardson is Trey Lance all over again.

I was the only person in America that gave Lance an undraftable free agent grade prior to the 2021 NFL Draft. On his college game film, it was clear that Lance was an athlete who was trying to be a QB.

Teams need QBs who are polished passers. If they are also mobile, sure that’s a huge plus, but first and foremost, teams need QBs who specialize in throwing the football.

That’s not Richardson.

Richardson’s “Game”

His entire game is built around the play-action running game, whether the running back runs or he takes off himself, that’s what he’s all about.

Richardson is a glorified option QB, who is a better runner than a passer.

From there, he is best at the short route level and his accuracy is all over the road further downfield.

If the team that selects Richardson doesn’t have a franchise-level running back to bail him out and get defenses to back off, this is going to get ugly fast.

What timing routes?

In a league that prides itself in quick release times for QBs (2.5-3.0 seconds), Richardson shows a very inconsistent release time throwing the football.

This alone is going to be a huge problem at the next level.

Honestly, the Gators’ offense looked like school kids playing at recess. Richardson stood back there until he found the open receiver and that’s not how the NFL works.

Route tree exposed

Richardson doesn’t look like he knows what he’s looking at downfield, which is why he often creates his own drama and takes off running.

This was also confirmed by the fact he looked most comfortable throwing short passes and outside the numbers on out patterns.

Expect the speed and complexity of NFL defenses to absolutely overwhelm him.

Compulsion to make bad throws

Richardson’s tendency to make a handful of bad decisions with the football in every game, seals his fate.

Richardson is horrible under pressure, whether it’s the pass rush or a game situation.

Understatement of the year

The Athletic spoke to several [NFL] coaches coming out of the combine who said, they were “intrigued by his potential but think he’s extremely raw.

If anything ever screamed “NOT A FIRST ROUND PICK,” that’s it.

Does Richardson offer upside as an offensive gadget player, like Taysom Hill, sure.

Is he a franchise QB – – hell no.

#15 Anthony Richardson 6-foot-4, 232 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2023 NFL Draft Grade: Fifth-Round (I would not select him)

Injury risk: High

Projected by 82.6% (up from 55.5% on December 29) of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of April 24, 2023

Previous articles:

Former NFL Scout Says Anthony Richardson Looks Like A Bust

Anthony Richardson: Nothing More than a Glorified Option Quarterback

10 Games Prove Anthony Richardson is a Bust

Previous 10 games evaluated:

2021: LSU 2022: Utah, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, FSU, Eastern Washington, Missouri, LSU, and Texas A&M

Additional 2022 game film reviewed for this evaluation: Vanderbilt, South Carolina, and USF

2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Athletic energetic erratic passer with a big arm. Good mobility and looks the part with good ball-handling skills and mobility in the pocket, but that’s where it ends. Poor mechanics. Inconsistent throwing at all three route levels (short, medium, and deep). Most comfortable running, but has average playing speed and elusiveness in the open field. Takes what defenses give him running.

Final words

Easy math. Easy money.

Richardson has bust spray painted all over his draft card if he’s taken in the first four rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft.

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.