Anthony Richardson shines in the 2023 NFL Combine: Which teams could draft him?
Following his sensational performance at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, the young QB is on everybody’s mind, which is why we’re looking at potential landing spots.
Having turned heads during the Combine, it’s now clear that 21-year-old quarterback has a bright future ahead of him in the NFL. The question now is, which team will secure his services. Join us for a look at some of the options as well as an introduction to the player himself.
Anthony Richardson’s Combing performance was historic
On Saturday, Florida Gators quarterback, Anthony Richardson, put on a show at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. Of course, everyone expected Richardson to be the biggest star at the Combine, but few could have expected the level that he went to. Quite frankly, Richardson had arguably the best quarterback workout ever witnessed at the Combine. Even his interviews with various teams throughout the week were stellar, giving the impression that he’s not just amazing on the field, but he can more than handle himself off of it as well.
What NFL teams could land Anthony Richardson?
As you can imagine, whenever there is a top tier quarterback prospect, just about every team in the NFL goes on alert. Where Richardson is concerned, the situation is no different. Regarding who has been linked with a move for the Gators star, analysts have named the Carolina Panthers as the frontrunner, however, three other teams have been named as well: The Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders. Interestingly, it’s the Commanders specifically which the analyst’s report indicates are the perfect fit for Richardson.
“With Eric Bieniemy taking over the offense in Washington, the possibility of Richardson to the Commanders seemingly increases,” the report reads. “Bieniemy understands what it’s like to groom a physically gifted playmaker in need of additional polish, since that was the book on Patrick Mahomes when he was coming out of Texas Tech. Washington has an ascending wide receiver corps and a couple of solid running backs. The Commanders may be willing to fold Richardson into a starting role sooner than most of the other teams on this list.”
Does a move to Washington make sense for Anthony Richardson?
In truth, yes it does. Though it’s true that Commanders head coach Ron Rivera previously discarded the idea of making a high-profile move for a quarterback, he appeared to change stance last week. After saying that Sam Howell was Washington’s “QB1″ heading into the offseason, he later said Howell wasn’t the official starting QB. This of course, could be due to the fact that Eric Bieniemy has recently taken over as offensive coordinator, which is to say it could well be that Bieniemy is pushing for a change under center.
This of course brings us to the Panthers who due to their record last season, are very much positioned to take a QB high in the draft. On the other hand, when we look at past examples like Malik Willis, a player who garnered similar reactions last year, it’s worth noting that the Combine doesn’t always reflect the order in which a player is picked. With that in mind, it may just be that Richardson - despite the obvious interest here and now - goes at a position in the Draft that allows the Commanders to get their man. Remember, stranger things have happened in the NFL.