We are just weeks away from the 2023 NFL draft. Right now the hot topics involve any one of four quarterbacks and we will feed right into the trend.
Anthony Richardson of the Florida Gators is among three passers who could be selected with the No. 1 overall pick. The selection was recently secured by the Carolina Panthers from the Chicago Bears. But is going to a desperately quarterback-needy team the best situation for the dual threat?
College Sports Wire discussed Richardson’s best situation in the NFL with Gators Wire editor Adam Dubbin.
“The best-case scenario for Richardson is to land with a franchise that has the patience to spend the two or three years it will take to develop him into a successful NFL quarterback,” Dubbin said. “If he gets picked by a hasty team that needs him to perform now, he either realizes his potential with a different squad or ends up a bust. My biggest concern in the draft for him is that the latter occurs.”
I don’t exactly have the same opinion as Dubbin on the subject of Richardson’s projection at the next level. I think he could come in and contribute immediately. However, I doubt he will have to unless taken at the very top of the draft. A team such as Las Vegas might give him the luxury of sitting and learning in the first year.
Take a stroll back in time to take a look at some of the best photos of former Gator Anthony Richardson in action. https://t.co/TxoQQrWONG
— Gators Wire (@GatorsWire) April 10, 2023
Another top prospect to consider is offensive guard O’Cyrus Torrence, who followed Billy Napier from Lafayette to Gainesville. The offensive mauler could be the top interior lineman drafted on the offensive side of the ball in the 2023 draft.
“Honestly, Torrence strikes me as the kind of guy who can fit in anywhere his services are needed,” Dubbin said of O’Cyrus Torrence. “We saw how seamless his transition from the Sun Belt to the SEC was (albeit with the same coach) so really, it is more about who needs him than where he needs to go. Best-case scenario is that he lands with a team with an already established frontline that he can hit the ground running with, rather than filling in a gap on a weak corps and having to carry too heavy of a load early on.”
Torrence is as plug and play as they come for me. I think his best situation might be with a team like the Dallas Cowboys. They have reworked their offensive line and just need a guard to play opposite of All-Pro guard Zack Martin.
For more on Florida check out our colleague’s work at Gators Wire. For more draft coverage check out Draft Wire, part of the USA TODAY SMG network.