Florida Gators Football

Evaluations of former University of Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson may be the most varied of any player—and certainly of any quarterback—in the upcoming 2023 NFL draft.

Richardson, 21, has been lauded for his arm strength and mobility but has received criticism from scouts regarding his lack of accuracy during his career with the Gators.

The opinions on Richardson resemble those of a quarterback coming out of Wyoming in the 2018 draft named Josh Allen. In fact, one NFL general manager compared Richardson's arm strength to that of the Bills superstar.

"Allen had this great throw at the combine when he was coming out—it was like a 70-yard bomb—and it kind of made us all sit up and take notice," the general manager told ESPN's Matt Miller. "Richardson will do that, too. And not those fake roll-out throws with tons of momentum. He'll just drop back and chuck it."

Richardson's arm strength was on display all season, and he tended to show it off on the biggest plays of the game. Eight of his 17 touchdowns came on passes of more than 20 yards downfield, and three of them were at least 40.

Looking at both Richardson and Allen's stats from their final collegiate seasons, there are some similarities, namely in their average yards per pass attempt. In 2017, Allen averaged 6.7 yards, while Richardson averaged 7.8.

They also both struggled a bit with their completion percentage. Neither completed more than 56.3 percent of their passes when given a full season's workload.

"There's no way around it. The accuracy is bad," one AFC area scout told Miller. "But there are so many scouts who think because Josh Allen cleaned up his stuff that Richardson and others can, too. I still think Allen is an outlier, not the rule."

Where Richardson clearly edges Allen is in his mobility. Although the Bills QB is a very good runner, the former Gator is on another level. In just one full season as UF's starter, Richardson rushed for 654 yards and nine touchdowns, almost as many yards (767) as Allen had in his entire career at Wyoming.

Over his career, Richardson rushed for 1,116 yards and 12 scores. Miller reports that his draft range is probably somewhere between Nos. 7 and 20.

HEIGHT: 6'6"

WEIGHT: 310

HAND: 9 1/2"

ARM: 32 1/4"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.88

3-CONE: 7.50

SHUTTLE: 4.7

VERTICAL: 31"

BROAD: 9'2"

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POSITIVES

— Quick to get his hands up and is strong at the point of attack to get some extension as a run defender.

— Takes on blocks with a wide base and is hard to move against one-on-one blocks. Uses short and powerful steps off the ball to maintain his base.

— Recognizes down blocks well to redirect his eyes and hands and avoid getting washed inside.

— Gets hands on offensive linemen working up to the second level to disrupt their path and potentially free up linebackers.

— Solid at shedding blocks.

— When he's fresh, he's solid at collapsing the pocket with a bull rush and does a good job of working to get on an edge. He has plenty of power to become a better bull rusher at the next level.

— Can develop a push-pull move. He's strong enough to execute it, but he needs to be more aggressive with the move.

— Good frame, well-built for his size and carries little bad weight. Looks like he slimmed down this past year.

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NEGATIVES

— Very slow off the ball, he's late to react to the snap and doesn't accelerate off the line of scrimmage well.

— Stands up out of his stance, causing issues taking on double teams and combo blocks.

– Will get reached/scooped in the NFL; he lacks the get-off and agility to stay in his gap when working laterally.

— Hand placement is a little wide as a run defender, which limits the amount of extension he gets, especially for someone with his height/length.

— Very limited pass-rush arsenal outside of the occasional bull rush. At least initially, he'll be a two-down player in the NFL.

— Sub-par pass-rush motor.

— Overall, he lacks athleticism and is pretty reliant on winning with power.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 13 GM, 55 TOT, 4 TFL, 2 SK, 1 PBU, 1 INT

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NOTES

— A 5-star recruit in the 2020 class, No. 12 overall, No. 3 DT, per 247Sports composite rankings

— No. 83 on Bruce Feldman's list of exceptional athletes; squats 655 pounds and benches 425 pounds

— No major injuries

— 24 career starts

— Played basketball and qualified for state track and field championships in the discus throw in high school

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OVERALL

Gervon Dexter is a good run defender who can eat up space and plug gaps. Exemplified by his bench and squat numbers above, he has plenty of strength that will transfer over to the next level, as he can be hard to move with one-on-one blocks. He's someone who commands double teams/extra attention from the offense's run-blocking scheme.

Probably the biggest issue with Dexter's game is his get-off. That could cause him some trouble in the NFL and really limits him as a pass-rusher. If he can start firing off the ball with more consistency, he'll have a better chance at staying on the field for third downs, as he's shown flashes with his bull rush.

Schematically, the Florida product can play as nose or 2i-technique, which opens up his potential suitors to odd- or even-front teams. However, his pad level and get-off must improve so that he can hold his ground better against double teams and combo blocks. That will be his biggest flaw as a two-down player in the NFL.

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GRADE: 7.2 (High-level backup/potential starter)

OVERALL RANK: 72

POSITION RANK: DL10

PRO COMPARISON: Dalvin Tomlinson

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Written by B/R NFL Draft Scout Matt Holder

Florida's Anthony Richardson might be the most divisive prospect in the 2023 NFL draft, but teams will likely take a chance on him early.

"He's not getting out of the Top 15," ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. said on Wednesday's Mock Draft Special. "That's from people in the league that I respect and have had great opinions over the years. The talent...is in abundance. You're talking about a howitzer for an arm. Tremendous runner—he'll be a top 3-5 runner immediately in the NFL—but can he be accurate enough throwing the football?"

Richardson is considered the third-best quarterback by Bleacher Report's Scouting Department in its post-Senior Bowl rankings, listed at No. 19 overall. His upside could still be enough to go inside the top 10.

"He's a make-your-draft or break-your-heart, boom-or-bust quarterback all the way, but I'm hearing he could go as high as 9," Kiper added.

The Carolina Panthers currently hold the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 draft.

Richardson got his first chance to start this season and impressed in a lot of ways, totaling 2,549 passing yards with 17 touchdowns. He added 654 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, producing some highlight-reel plays:

ANTHONY RICHARDSON FLIPPED A SWITCH 😱

(via @GatorsFB)pic.twitter.com/TItE8uVrEb

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 16, 2022

On the other hand, he completed only 53.8 percent of his passes and threw nine interceptions.

His inconsistency as a passer is enough for some teams to stay away, but his potential as a dual-threat star could have others trading up to land him.

According to Benjamin Solak of The Ringer, one scout said Richardson should be in the conversation as the top quarterback in the class, along with Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Will Levis.

There are some quarterback-needy teams outside the top 15, including the Washington Commanders (16) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19). Depending on how this offseason goes, the Baltimore Ravens (23) and New York Giants (26) could also be looking for a new quarterback. However, they might need to be aggressive in a trade in order to land Richardson.

Carolina could be in better position with the ninth pick to take its next franchise quarterback after misfiring on trades for Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield.

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 250

HAND: 9 1/4"

ARM: 33 1/8"

WINGSPAN: 82 5/8"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.82

3-CONE: 7.57

SHUTTLE: 4.57

VERTICAL: 33"

BROAD: 9'7"

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POSITIVES

— Great size and frame, he carries little to no bad weight and has room for growth if he needs it.

— Solid get-off overall with a quick reaction to the snap and solid acceleration off the line of scrimmage.

— Physical and strong at the point of attack to set the edge against offensive tackles as a run defender. Also refuses to get blocked one-on-one by tight ends.

— Uses his hands well as a run defender with great placement to get under the blocker's pads, and he has the strength to help stand up the blocker and get a leverage advantage.

— He's strong and violent when shedding, he has little to no issues getting off blocks from tackles.

— Sets up his pass rush moves well by getting to square during the stem phase to get a two-way go.

— Good power rusher overall with an impressive one-arm stab move that can put offensive tackles on skates, as well as a solid bull rush.

— Has shown flashes of winning with a push-pull move.

— Solid arm-over move that uses his hands well to clear the offensive lineman's, and he can win to the inside or outside with it.

— Good pass-rush motor when not facing tempo.

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NEGATIVES

— Late to get his eye inside and see pullers coming when unblocked as the spill player against the run, making it difficult for him to get all the way underneath pullers and force the running back to bounce.

— Has a habit of working around blocks and opening up rushing lanes.

— Not very gap-disciplined overall, he'll leave his assignment early.

— Doesn't bring his feet with him when tackling, especially in space, leading to misses.

— His bull rush can be more effective if he just gets off the ball and goes. He'll occasionally do too much dancing to start the move.

— He's not a twitchy athlete overall, which inhibits his ability to win with finesse moves as a pass-rusher. This is most noticeable when he tries stick moves or is the looper in line games.

— Bend is sub-par, and he's a little stiff to turn tight corners around the edge.

— Dismissed from two programs.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 8 GM, 35 TOT, 8 TFL, 2 SK, 1 PBU

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NOTES

— DOB: January 30, 2000

— Georgia transfer

— A 5-Star recruit in the 2018 class, No. 23 overall, No. 2 SDE, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

— Injuries: 2021 (Foot surgery, missed beginning of fall camp)

— Arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession in 2019 at Georgia and was later dismissed from the team for reportedly being a locker room issue. He was dismissed from Florida this year for undisclosed reasons

— 34 career starts

— 2021 Honors: SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll

— 2020 Honors: SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll, Second-Team All-SEC (AP)

— 2019 Honors: SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll

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OVERALL

Brenton Cox Jr. is a physically imposing edge defender who can set the edge as a run defender and win with power as a pass rusher. His strength at the point of attack is impressive and helps him put offensive tackles on their heels. However, his athleticism is primarily linear as his lateral movement skills leave something to be desired.

Whether it's working stick moves or as the looper in line games, Cox has a hitch when trying to change direction and lacks the agility to be effective in those areas. His bend is also concerning as he's a little stiff and will struggle to turn tight corners after winning around the edge as a pass-rusher.

All of that being said, the biggest questions the Florida product will have to answer during the pre-draft process are what happened that led to his dismissal from two programs and how has he grown from that. Those are going to be major red flags that will impact his draft stock, especially as the most recent incident occurred this past season.

Schematically, Cox would probably be best as a hand-in-the-ground defensive end in even fronts, but he's fairly versatile and could play as a standup outside linebacker for an odd front team, too.

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GRADE: 6.7 (Potential Role Player/4th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 120

POSITION RANK: EDGE15

PRO COMPARISON: Frank Clark

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Written by B/R NFL Draft Scout Matt Holder

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 244

HAND: 10 1/2"

ARM: 32 3/4"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.43

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: 40.5"

BROAD: 10'9"

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POSITIVES

— Ideal size/build for the position. Tall, thick frame.

— Elite athlete. Speed, explosiveness, and change of direction are all excellent. Highly effective scrambler and designed runner.

— Elite arm strength. Rips the ball 60+ yards with ease; can fit the ball into tight windows and outside the numbers very comfortably.

— Great pocket management. Quick to react and adjust; comfortable navigating tight spaces.

— Above-average ability to handle pressure and find creative plays on the run. Unafraid to take hits to get the ball off.

— Solid processing skills for a one-year starter. Showed ability to work real progressions and play in rhythm.

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NEGATIVES

— Inconsistent accuracy. Flashes high-level throws but prone to a few bizarre misfires per game.

— Robotic decision-maker at times. Too many instances when he gets to the end of his progression and automatically throws despite the WR being covered.

— Can be too quick to throw the ball away from the pocket, a la Derek Carr.

— One-year starter. Hard to know how he progresses with reps and offseason development.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 12 GM, 176-317 (53.8%), 2,549 yards, 7.8 Y/A, 17 TD, 9 INT, 103 ATT, 645 YDS (6.3 AVG), 9 TD

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NOTES

— Born May 22, 2001

— 13 starts over two seasons (12 in 2022)

— 4-star high school recruit in 2020 class

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OVERALL

Anthony Richardson is a home-run swing on elite tools and fearless pocket management.

Athletically, nobody in this class compares to Richardson. At 6'4" and 232 pounds, Richardson will walk into the league with top-five speed, explosiveness, and contact balance for the position. He is very effective as a designed runner, particularly on plays that get him on the perimeter. Richardson is also a terrifying and creative scrambler. Not only is he quick to react to pressure and explosive enough to free himself from their clutches, but he's got a good eye for making plays both in congested areas or outside the pocket. When all of those athletic tools are paired with Richardson's blistering arm strength, there's no denying he is the most talented quarterback in the class.

As a passer, Richardson is a mixed bag, but he has more of a foundation than he's let on. Richardson is an excellent pocket manager. He remains calm and often does well to preempt pressure. When the walls start closing in, Richardson does a great job navigating tight pockets and playing with his eyes up, showing no fear of the pass-rush. Richardson is also a fine processor, especially for such a young and inexperienced player. He regularly showed the ability to cycle through his progressions and play within the system, rather than looking to break structure. Richardson just needs to speed up his timing and be a little snappier as a decision-maker—skills that theoretically develop with more reps.

Accuracy is Richardson's biggest area for improvement. Richardson's best throws are mesmerizing, but there are too many random misfires littered in between. Richardson is prone to three or so terrible misfires per game, often in the 1-10 yard area--throws that are supposed to keep the offense on schedule. He also struggles a bit more with moving targets than he does stationary ones, too often limiting YAC. Richardson's accuracy isn't as bad as his 53.8 percent completion percentage suggests, since that's partly a product of the Gators' poor receiving group, but he's certainly a tick or two less accurate at this stage in his development than your typical first-round pick.

Richardson's rare bundle of traits are worth a risky bet. Players with his build, athletic profile, arm strength and advanced pocket management are hard to find. Speeding up his process a bit and ironing out his accuracy will be necessary, but Richardson is a young player with plenty of room to grow, and hopefully, the right environment can foster that growth. Richardson would fit best in an offense that embraces both his athleticism and arm strength in the intermediate and deep sections of the field.

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GRADE: 8.5 (Impact Player)

OVERALL RANK: 7

POSITION RANK: QB2

PRO COMPARISON: Cam Newton

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

There reportedly will be no $13 million name, image and likeness deal for quarterback Jaden Rashada and the Florida Gators.

Pete Nakos of On3 Sports reported Rashada was released from his national letter of intent with the SEC school after previously signing during December's early signing period. He both verbally requested to be released and filed official paperwork for it to happen Tuesday.

Richard Johnson of Sports Illustrated confirmed he was released from his letter of intent.

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel (h/t Nakos) previously reported the reason Rashada had not arrived on campus for the Gators was an issue with an NIL deal that was worth approximately $13 million over the course of four years.

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Rashada is a 4-star prospect and the No. 59 overall player, No. 7 quarterback and No. 6 player from the state of California in the 2023 recruiting class.

He would have been a major addition for the Gators, but they still have the No. 11 class in the country by 247Sports' composite rankings. What's more, former Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz transferred to the school this offseason and figures to be the immediate replacement for the NFL-draft-bound Anthony Richardson.

As for Rashada, it remains to be seen where he will end up.

Nakos noted it "is not easy to predict" at this point even though Arizona State, Colorado, Cal and Washington are all potential candidates, especially if he chooses to stay closer to home after the Florida situation.

He previously committed to Miami but announced in November he decided to join the Gators instead.

There may not be a $13 million deal waiting for him whenever he makes his next decision, though, as he has an NIL valuation of $450,000 at On3 Sports.

University of Florida commit Jaden Rashada has requested to be released from his letter of intent after a $13 million name, image and likeness deal with the Gator Collective dissolved.

Mark Long of The Associated Press reported Rashada's commitment to Florida was "contingent" on the eight-figure deal. According to the report, the Gator Collective's funding for the contract fell through, leaving the group to terminate the NIL deal with Rashada.

The 4-star quarterback originally committed to Miami but flipped to Florida in November. He signed his letter of intent Dec. 21 and was expected to enroll at the university this month. Instead, Rashada never showed up and returned to his hometown of Pittsburg, California, when the deal fell through.

Ranked as the No. 59 overall recruit and seventh-ranked quarterback in the 2023 class by 247Sports' composite rankings, Rashada's football future is now completely up in the air. If Florida winds up attempting to force Rashada's hand into honoring his commitment, he could wind up sitting out the 2023 season before he formally transfers.

Long indicated it's possible Rashada files a lawsuit against the Gator Collective and potentially the Florida athletic department.

The situation highlights one of the issues with the world of NIL deals being in their Wild West phase. Rashada committed to Florida likely in large part because of the life-changing wealth offered by the Gator Collective, which has no formal ties to the university but acts essentially as an independent fundraiser to pay high-level recruits and players.

From Rashada's perspective, it would be fair to assume there was a bait-and-switch pulled, with the offer only being withdrawn after he signed his letter of intent. Unless these deals become better regulated, boosters could lure high school kids to their school with promises of a massive financial windfall only to pull the rug out at the last minute.

Florida's desperation to find a quarterback in its 2023 recruiting class was palpable. Anthony Richardson had been pegged for the NFL since early in the 2022 season, and backup Jalen Kitna was arrested on child pornography charges late last year.

Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz and Jack Miller III are currently slated to compete for the starting job with Rashada's status in limbo.

HEIGHT: 6'5"

WEIGHT: 330

HAND: 11 1/4"

ARM: 33 7/8"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 5.31

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: 4.81

VERTICAL: 23.5"

BROAD: 8'5"

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POSITIVES

— Massive frame and build with good length and a wide base to engulf defenders.

— Very good play strength to reestablish the line of scrimmage in the run game and anchor in pass-protection.

— Excels in the power-run game, uprooting defensive tackles on down blocks and double-teams as the post and drive man, routinely creating vertical and lateral displacement.

— Uses his frame, length and power to create cutback lanes in the zone-run game by covering up and widening defenders further than they want to go.

— Reliable processing skills to key, diagnose and handle basic line games and stunts.

— Eats the bull rush and can anchor quickly when squared up against power rushes.

— Plays with a nasty demeanor and consistently looks to finish defenders throughout games.

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NEGATIVES

— Tends to lean and not keep his head out of blocks when isolated against sub-package rushers rather than maintain proper posture and patience, leaving him vulnerable to losing quickly.

— Can be a tick late releasing off combo blocks, causing him to be tardy to pick up quick-trigger linebackers.

— Shows mediocre agility on the move and struggles to adjust his track when necessary, leaving him susceptible to missing his target in space on the second level and on pulls.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 11 starts at right guard

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NOTES

— Named AP first-team All-American, becoming the first Gator offensive lineman to achieve the distinction since Mike Pearson in 2001.

— Former 3-star prospect out of St. Helena College and Career Academy in Greensburg, Louisiana

— Started 35 games over three seasons at Louisiana before transferring to Florida in 2022. Finished his career with 46 starts

— First true freshman offensive lineman to start at Louisiana since 2004

— First-team All-Sun Belt in 2021

— First-team All-SEC in 2022

— Never allowed a sack during his college career (over 3,000 snaps)

— Decided to skip his team's appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl to prepare for the draft

— Invited and accepted his invite to the 2022 Senior Bowl

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OVERALL

O'Cyrus Torrence is a four-year starter inside Billy Napier's multiple-run scheme with 46 career starts inside at guard during his time at Louisiana (2019-2021) and Florida (2022). He has a massive, hulking build with a thick midsection, solid arm length and massive hands.

Torrence wins using a combination of sheer size, a strong center of gravity and a high-level ability to generate and absorb force in the run and pass game. He is an adept gap run-blocker who excels covering up defensive tackles, resetting the line of scrimmage and creating displacement vertically and laterally on down, base and double-team blocks.

Torrence has the necessary blend of power to create instant movement and uproot defenders when needed, with the strength to strain, sustain and steer them out of rush lanes. He flashes the balance and body control to absorb contact on the move when he catches defenders square down the midline of his frame, and he has the grip strength to stay attached against shed attempts. However, he will get top-heavy, leave his feet behind and lunge at fast-flowing, twitchy defenders that work across his face.

Torrence does a nice job staying inside-out on pass-rushers, showing the patience to maximize his size and not get overaggressive with his hands. That forces rushers to work around or through his frame.

Torrence has firm, powerful strikes and does a nice job relying on his inside hand to widen rushers. He also has the invaluable ability of bracing through his core and anchoring quickly to stymie the bull rush. He's a quick processor with alert eyes to anticipate line games and stunts while being a force of nature when uncovered, routinely caving in adjacent rushers to clear the pocket.

The one area of concern is against high-level 3-techniques and sub-package rushers that can get him isolated with wide alignments and make him play in space. That negates his strength and power.

Overall, Torrence has starter-level size, play strength and power, with the right demeanor to be a potential impact starter at guard in most schemes. Ideally, he would plug into a run and play-action focused offense that incorporates a healthy mix of gap concepts to suit what he does best and maximize his physical traits and skill set.

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GRADE: 7.5 (Potential Impact Player/Round 2)

OVERALL RANK: 51

POSITION RANK: IOL5

PRO COMPARISON: Larry Warford

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn