How high will Anthony Richardson go?
Anthony Richardson #AnthonyRichardson
Our mock draft has him at No. 5. He surely won’t go No. 1, not at this point. But how high will Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson go tonight?
For some reason, Caesars has pushed his odds for being the second overall pick from +10000 to +650. (Others have yet to follow suit.) At a time when no one knows who the Texans will take, why not Richardson?
The reality is that there’s no clear-cut, sure-thing at quarterback in this year’s class. And Richardson is the one with the highest ceiling. He has played only one year of college football. He arguably has only scratched the surface, and will only get better.
As one source put it on Thursday afternoon, “There’s never been anything like him before.”
He lacks red flags relating to off-field characteristics or personality. There’s no glaring reason to question his ability to learn or to process. And, athletically, he’s a freak.
If all else fails, he’d be an even better version of Taysom Hill.
Think of how the position has changed. The best quarterbacks have the mobility to extend pass plays, and/or to take advantage of designed runs. Look at Justin Fields currently, and early-career Lamar Jackson.
If Richardson develops as a passer, the sky really is the limit.
So if you’re not worried about a possible low floor and you want a potentially very high ceiling, why not roll the dice? Why not make the move? Someone is going to come to that conclusion tonight.
Whether it’s the Seahawks at No 5 or even the Colts at No. 4 (they’re currently the favorites at DraftKings) — or whether he slips a bit and someone else pounces or trades up — he’s the one potential game-changing superstar in this draft. And while not every G.M. or coach will be willing to pin their careers on taking that kind of a chance, all it takes is one owner to make it clear that, at the end of the day, the billionaire’s privilege applies to these proceedings.
How high will Anthony Richardson go? originally appeared on Pro Football Talk