Anthony Richardson to Colts, Jalen Carter to Seahawks in Jeremiah's NFL Mock Draft

Two of the 2023 NFL draft's most polarizing prospects went inside the top five in NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah's latest mock draft.

In Jeremiah's mock draft 3.0 posted on Tuesday, Jeremiah projected Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson to go fourth overall to the Indianapolis Colts. Richardson was the third quarterback off the board for Jeremiah behind Alabama's Bryce Young to the Carolina Panthers at No. 1 and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud to the Houston Texans at No. 2.

Also, despite off-field concerns and a poor performance at his pro day, Jeremiah has Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter going fifth overall to the Seattle Seahawks, making him the second defensive player taken behind only Alabama pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr. to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3.

The beat reporter mock draft on The Athletic also yielded the same two picks with Richardson going No. 4 to Indy and Carter going No. 5 to Seattle.

Along with Young, Stroud and Kentucky's Will Levis, Richardson is considered one of four quarterbacks who are almost certain to come off the board in the first round.

Of the four first-round signal-callers, Richardson is unquestionably the biggest, fastest, strongest and most physically gifted, and he proved that to be true at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Richardson set the combine record for quarterbacks in both the vertical jump and broad jump, and his 40-yard dash time of 4.43 seconds was one of the fastest ever by a quarterback as well.

The 6'4", 244-pound Richardson has prototypical size for an NFL quarterback, and his dual-threat nature could make him one of the most exciting players in the league.

His skill set has yet to fully translate to the field, though, as he completed just 53.8 percent of his passes for 2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions in his only season as the starter at Florida, although he did do plenty of damage with his legs, rushing for 654 yards and nine scores.

While Young and Stroud feel like much safer picks than Richardson with higher floors, Richardson unquestionably has the highest ceiling of any quarterback in the draft.

Given what Colts head coach Shane Steichen did with a dual-threat quarterback in Jalen Hurts as offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, he may be the perfect person to help mold Richardson into a quality NFL quarterback.

Carter has long been viewed by experts as someone in the mix for the distinction of the top overall prospect in the 2023 NFL draft, but red flags have started to mount.

Last week, Carter pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing, related to the automobile crash deaths of Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy in January.

Police allege that Carter and LeCroy were racing their vehicles when LeCroy went off the road at 104 mph and struck two poles and some trees.

LeCroy's blood-alcohol level was 2.5 times the legal limit, but Carter was not suspected to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Carter's lawyer, Kim Stephens, said Carter was not responsible for the crash and followed all protocols correctly, including remaining at the scene.

For pleading no contest, Carter was sentenced to 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine and 80 hours of community service, in addition to being required to complete a driving course.

Last week, Carter arrived at Georgia's pro day weighing 323 pounds, which was nine pounds heavier than his weight at the combine.

Carter took part in positional drills, but struggled to get through them, and ultimately stopped when he cramped up.

Carter was often a dominant force in three seasons at Georgia, helping them win back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022.

He recorded 37 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 2021, followed by 32 tackles, seven tackles for loss and three sacks last season.

The Seahawks would perhaps be the most sensible team to take Carter since their No. 5 overall selection is an extra pick acquired from the Denver Broncos as part of the trade involving quarterback Russell Wilson.

Seattle also owns the No. 20 overall pick, meaning it can afford to roll the dice to some degree and bet on one of the draft's elite talents.

Carter would also serve as a potential replacement for former Seahawks defensive tackle Poona Ford, who is currently a free agent.