The Colts drafted quarterback Anthony Richardson fourth overall in the 2023 NFL draft. The former Gators quarterback saw his draft stock rise exponentially over the last few months as a result of his impressive showing at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. He now heads to the Colts, who have trotted out a different Week 1 starter under center every season since 2017.
As a one-year starter at Florida, Richardson went 6–6 and completed less than 54% of his passes though he flashed the athleticism and rushing ability that made him such a tantalizing prospect. The former Gator is just the fourth quarterback since 2000 to be drafted in the first round after attempting fewer than 400 passes in college.
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Richardson enters the league as one of the best runners at his position. His athletic testing was off the charts and he ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, which is elite speed for a 6’4”, 244-lb signal-caller. Richardson has drawn comparisons to Cam Newton and has a high ceiling as a dual-threat option under center.
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He’s joining a Colts quarterback room that includes Gardner Minshew and Nick Foles. The duo of Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor will make for a dangerous two-headed attack out of the backfield. Richardson ran for 654 yards and nine touchdowns last season at UF and though Taylor’s 2022 season was derailed by injuries, he’s one year removed from winning the rushing title.
Coach Shane Steichen could tap into Richardson’s potential in the same manner that he got the most out of Jalen Hurts as the Eagles offensive coordinator. Hurts improved as a passer and was employed as a rusher often under Steichen and perhaps the biggest question about Richardson is in regards to his accuracy due to his poor completion percentage. His new coach can help him improve at the next level.
Indy could use another playmaker in the receiver room. The front office added Isaiah McKenzie in the offseason to line up alongside Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce, but the Colts could still use another pass-catcher. Pittman led the Colts in receiving in back-to-back seasons and was one catch shy of a 100-reception season in 2022 but might not see the same volume with Richardson under-center.
Purely based on his rushing ability alone, Richardson could be in the running as the top rookie quarterback in fantasy, assuming he beats out Minshew and Foles for the starting job.
