McShay NFL Mock Draft: Richardson to Raiders, Stroud to Texans, Levis to Panthers

Anthony Richardson's electrifying workout at the scouting combine has dramatically raised his profile leading up to the 2023 NFL draft.

In his latest mock draft, ESPN's Todd McShay has the Las Vegas Raiders trading up three spots to select Richardson as their quarterback of the future at No. 4.

McShay has Richardson as the third quarterback off the board, after Bryce Young goes to the Indianapolis Colts at No. 1 in a trade with the Chicago Bears and C.J. Stroud goes to the Houston Texans at No. 2.

Will Levis is projected by McShay to be the fourth quarterback in the class but still a top-10 pick to the Carolina Panthers at No. 9.

Richardson had arguably the most impressive workout of any quarterback in the history of the scouting combine. He set a modern-era combine record for the position with a 40.5-inch vertical jump and tied the modern-era (since at least 2003) combine record with a 10'9" broad jump.

Using Kent Lee Platte's relative athletic scores model, Richardson graded as an elite prospect in composite size, speed and explosiveness. He also received a perfect 10 athletic score, with Daunte Culpepper and Cam Newton as his closest athletic comparisons.

Plenty of questions remain about Richardson's ability to play QB in the NFL. McShay noted his footwork and accuracy need work, but he's also an explosive playmaker who had "17 touchdown passes—including three of 40-plus air yards— and rushed for an FBS QB-high 6.4 yards per carry in 2022."

If the Raiders were to draft Richardson, it would be interesting to see how they'd handle the position in 2023. They could sign a stopgap player, but any sign of struggles from a free agent would increase the pressure to start Richardson because of his testing and how early it seems he will be selected.

Among the top quarterbacks in the class, Stroud came out of the scouting combine with the least buzz. It's not because he did anything wrong, but there were so many questions about the other players that his steady testing didn't stand out.

The 5'10" Young answered some of the questions about his size by weighing in at 204 pounds. Levis showed tremendous arm talent but had some issues with accuracy and ball placement.

McShay called Stroud's throwing session in Indianapolis "outstanding" and praised him for being able to make "all of the NFL-level throws" necessary to be a successful quarterback.

The Texans are unlikely to be playoff contenders in 2023, but they can start to build a quality roster if they can find a good quarterback. Stroud might not have the same athletic traits as Richardson or Levis, but he's arguably the most NFL-ready signal-caller in this class.

If Levis is still on the board when the Panthers pick, there's no reason for them not to take him. The upside is tremendous, and he could reach it by becoming more consistent with his accuracy. The 23-year-old didn't have a great 2022, though some of his struggles can be attributed to having toe and shoulder injuries.

A healthy Levis getting the opportunity to work with Panthers head coach Frank Reich would be very intriguing for a franchise that has been trying to find a long-term answer at quarterback since the end of the first Newton era in 2019.