The 2023 NFL draft is finally underway and the first Gator off the board is former Florida quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag]. The Indianapolis Colts selected Richardson with the fourth overall pick in the first round.
Richardson is the 58th Gator to come off the board on Day 1 in the modern era, and it took just 13 starts in the Swamp. Scouts and draft experts have described him as the most athletic quarterback in draft history, and he reportedly aced the interview portion of the scouting as well.
He leaves Florida with 3,105 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and a 54.7% completion rate (215 for 393). But stats have never been the complete story with Richardson. He’s a local kid who played at Eastside before joining the Gators.
Fans clamored for Dan Mullen to give him a chance over Emory Jones in 2021, and Billy Napier finally gave him the starting job in 2022. It’s well known that Richardson is a work in progress, but his raw talent is too impressive to ignore.
The Colts were looking to add a quarterback after failed attempts to bring in veteran signal callers, but Richardson needs time to thrive. A bit of patience will be necessary for this pick to pan out, but Richardson has already made Gator Nation proud by making it this far.
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