Drae Harris played collegiately at California and worked in NFL scouting departments for the Cardinals, Chiefs and Browns. (Go here for all Harris’ scouting reports.)
A redshirt sophomore, Anthony Richardson was a full-time starter at Florida only in 2022. Richardson’s stat line last season is unimpressive (176-for-327 passing, 2,549 yards, 17 TDs) as is his career completion percentage (54.7%). At the NFL Scouting Combine, he measured 6-foot-4 ¼ and 244 pounds.
Strengths: Richardson has a strong arm and can generate enough velocity to get the ball to all levels of the field. He’s an outstanding athlete, evidenced by his ability to escape pressure and extend plays with his legs. At the combine, he wowed teams with his speed in the 40 (initially 4.44 but later adjusted to 4.43, per Yahoo! Sports).
When his feet are set and he has a balanced platform, Richardson effortlessly throws deep posts and other vertical routes. His deep-ball threat ability will open up the run game. He’s a proverbial blank canvas with excellent physical traits who could improve as he learns the nuances of the position.
Weaknesses: With regard to mechanics, he’s raw as a passer. He has a slight “wind-up” in his delivery. He must make his throwing motion more compact, which would improve his efficiency. He’ll follow an impressive throw with a bad miss a few plays later.
His accuracy must improve for him to become a full-time starter. With regards to ball placement, even on some of his completed passes, the ball must be in a more advantageous position for the receiver to get vertical after the catch. He has shown a propensity to lock on to his primary receiver and to escape the pocket prematurely.
Conclusion: Teams will likely be enamored with his athleticism and strong arm, but he’s far from a finished product as a passer. He must be much more consistent with his mechanics.
The general rule of thumb is that you build the scheme around what your QB does best. He would likely benefit from playing in an offense with “spread” principles to accentuate his skill set.
The ceiling is high for Richardson, and a quarterback-needy team could draft him early as QBs often get pushed up the draft board. However, I think his “floor” reflects some reservations, as this player is not ready to lead an NFL offense in Year 1.
What others say | ESPN’s Mel Kiper said: “He’s not an NFL-ready thrower. But he is an awesome talent, a raw quarterback in a 6-foot-4 frame who would be one of the league’s most electrifying runners as soon as he steps on the field.”
ESPN’s Todd McShay said: “Howitzer for an arm … [He] will immediately in the NFL be one of the top five mobile quarterbacks. What’s wrong? He has the intelligence, he just hasn’t translated it yet. He hasn’t figured it all out.”
Player comp: Chicago Bears Justin Fields
Round: Second
