Although he’s thrown less than 100 passes for the Florida Gators, the hype is real for quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] going into the 2022 season.
He served as [autotag]Emory Jones[/autotag]’ backup at the start of last year and eventually took over the starting role for all of two quarters. Richardson went down with an injury against Georgia and played limited snaps for the rest of the year. With Jones now at Arizona State, Richardson is the expected starter for Florida, and he’s expected to do big things.
In ESPN’s latest mock draft from Matt Miller (that uses a different order than Todd McShay’s recent submission), Richardson is projected to go in the late first round at No. 27 to the Indianapolis Colts. While it may seem bold to project a player that has seen very little action so high, keep in mind that McShay had Richardson going sixth overall to Carolina.
Miller doesn’t deny the possibility of Richardson flying up draft boards, either, especially if things go better than expected in his first full year as a starter. Here’s what Miller’s entry on No. 15 said:
“Richardson has received considerable hype this summer thanks to his big-time arm strength, mobility and 6-foot-4 frame. This is all a projection, however, as he has thrown 64 passes for the Gators — and six of those were interceptions. Richardson has the tools, but we have to see the production this season. If he puts it all together under coach Billy Napier, he could push himself way up the board.”
Of course, Miller tempers expectations as much as he presents the path to success. As rough as Jones had it last year throwing 13 interceptions, Richardson tacked on six more at a much faster pace. Being thrown into bad situations may have accelerated things, but he’ll need to take a significant leap forward in the pocket to truly excel.
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