The Houston Texans are in the market for a quarterback at No. 2 overall. What the Texans will have to sort through in the following two months is which signal caller they want and if they will have to make a deal with the Chicago Bears for No. 1 overall to ensure they get the correct one.
A long shot for the No. 1 overall pick is Anthony Richardson, but the Florida field general is drawing comparisons to a former No. 1 overall pick in Cam Newton.
According to Natalie Miller from the Draft Wire, Richardson has the same size at 6-4, 230 pounds that Newton brought to the 2011 Carolina Panthers as well as the same arm strength and mobility.
It must be said that Cam was a more developed player and a better pure passer coming out of college, but beyond that, both players are stunningly similar. Both Richardson and Newton led their respective teams in rushing as the primary threat on the ground, and become much more than a quarterback. Similarly, they both had the same sky-high ceiling, and Richardson has the same MVP potential in the right situation.
Richardson would be in a decent situation with the Texans and new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik deploying the Kyle Shanahan version of the West Coast offense. The engine for moving the ball wouldn’t be Richardson’s legs; that would merely be an added benefit. The horses that would drive the offense would be the quick passing game — which can limit contact a quarterback takes from pass rushers — and the running game led by Dameon Pierce.
If the Texans enjoyed the same career trajectory with Richardson that Newton had, then Houston could look forward to an MVP season and a Super Bowl berth, which was the capstone of Newton’s time with Carolina from 2011-19 and later when he returned in 2021.
