Arguably the biggest winner at the NFL Combine was Florida QB Anthony Richardson. After a rough 2022 season, Richardson has now firmly put himself in the top-ten discussion after what he did in Indianapolis.
But would a team like the Raiders, sitting at No. 7, gamble on Richardson and his upside? Or is he just too big of a risk considering his mediocre play during the 2022 season?
In a recent article by ESPN’s NFL Draft insiders, they wrote about how teams now view Richardson as a lock top-12 pick going into the 2023 NFL Draft. Here is what they had to say about Richardson coming out of the combine:
The Anthony Richardson hype is relentless after the Florida quarterback jumped 40.5 inches in the vertical and ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds. One NFL scout I spoke to said his team was internally debating whether Richardson would go in the top 12, and most agreed that he would. And that was early in the week, before the fantastic workout.
Not only is Richardson incredibly big and athletic, but his arm talent was on full display at the NFL Combine. His ability to throw the ball on a rope 60 yards down the field is very reminiscent of Josh Allen or Justin Herbert.
However, Richardson might be a year or even two away from being ready to be an NFL starter. His game needs a lot of polish and there is no guarantee that he can ever become consistent enough to be an elite quarterback.
But there aren’t many players on this earth that are more athletic and talented than Richardson. And for a team like the Raiders that has to play against Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert four times a year, it might be worth taking a chance on Richardson given the potential payoff.
Don’t be surprised if the Raiders are that team to take a chance on Richardson inside the top ten picks of the 2023 NFL Draft.
