NFL Exec Doesn't Want to Play vs. Anthony Richardson; Makes 'Hard S--t Look' Easy

Some football scouts and executives believe Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson's skills outweigh his college stat sheet.

"If you just watched him and knew nothing about [his resume], you'd take him No. 1 and not think twice," an NFL personnel evaluator told ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler. "He makes really hard s--t look really easy."

Richardson's draft stock rose as he proved his athleticism and agility at the combine last month, where he set a quarterback record for the vertical jump and recorded a 4.43-second 40-yard dash despite being the tallest and heaviest signal-caller at the event.

The 6'4", 244-pound quarterback is also able to casually do a back flip, as he proved at the combine.

Concerns about his passing accuracy threatened to lower Richardson's draft position after his first year as a college starter with Florida in 2022.

The quarterback completed 176 of 327 passes—a 53.8 completion percentage—for 2,549 passing yards (65th among NCAA quarterbacks) and 17 touchdowns (tied for 66th). The question from fans and scouts is now whether those incomplete passes can be attributed to Richardson or to his receivers.

Despite his Florida stat line, one NFC executive called Richardson "the guy out of this draft that I'd least like to play."

"I don't want to play [against] him... Better quarterback playing the position than given credit for. He can read it out and has some good throws," the executive told Fowler.

After catching scouts' eyes with accurate throws over long distances at Florida's pro day, Richardson is now projected to be the third quarterback selected in 2023 behind Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud.