When the Indianapolis Colts drafted [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] with the fourth overall pick, many questioned just how long it would take to see him under center in the NFL.
The folks at Pro Football Focus are operating under the assumption that he will be the guy in Indy as soon as Week 1, but that’s not necessarily a good thing. The site’s ranking of all 32 starting quarterbacks in the league places Richardson dead last. Yes, even behind Atlanta’s Desmond Ridder and Arizona’s Colt McCoy.
“Richardson wasn’t even a particularly good college quarterback last season in the SEC. His overall PFF grade came in at 80.3, which ranked 38th in the nation and was being propped up by his rushing ability — something that will need to continue in the NFL,” the article reads. “The good news for him is that he landed with a head coach who just executed this development arc with Jalen Hurts. Richardson will need to rely on the limitless athleticism that saw him average 7.4 yards per carry last season while he develops as a passer.”
While it may seem harsh, every criticism made by PFF is sound. Most agreed coming into the draft that the best-case scenario for Richardson was to join a team with a veteran to lean on while he develops. Gardner Minshew is splitting first-team reps with the former Florida quarterback during summer OTAs, but he might not be a strong enough player to keep Richardson on the bench.
Indianapolis could strike gold with Richardson and see him take many steps forward over the offseason. But it’s far more likely that the Colts start a quarterback who isn’t experienced enough to thrive after being thrown into the fire.
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