ESPN: Colts Feel Anthony Richardson Has Developed 'Further' Than Pre-Draft Evals Said

The Indianapolis Colts reportedly think that rookie starting quarterback Anthony Richardson is further along than pre-draft evaluations would lead people to believe.

ESPN's Dan Graziano included that note amid a longer blurb about why he felt Richardson, who made just 13 collegiate starts in Florida, may lead the league in interceptions.

"Don't take this the wrong way; I love Richardson's talent and think he has a chance to be a superstar," Graziano wrote. "So do the Colts. In fact, they actually think he's further along than the pre-draft evaluations had us believe. There are going to be throws and drives and even whole games in which he does things that other people simply can't physically do."

The 6'4", 244-pound Richardson's physical talents, intangibles and tremendous potential helped him become the No. 4 overall choice in the 2023 NFL draft.

He very well could turn out to be a superstar, and his development could also be far more accelerated than people realize.

On the flipside, the knocks on him pre-draft were namely accuracy issues and a lack of starting experience. That was apparent at times during the preseason, where he completed just 13-of-29 passes for 145 yards and an interception. It's possible Richardson experiences major growing pains as he tries to lead a team that won just four games last year.

Graziano added: "But Richardson started only 13 games in college, and he will be developing while playing in real NFL games. He threw nine picks on 327 pass attempts in his final year at Florida. So he's going to make mistakes, bad decisions and head-scratching throws."

Ultimately, Richardson just turned 21 years old in May, and he's being thrown into the fire as QB1 right away for a rebuilding team. There's going to be a learning curve, but it appears he's further along than expected.

That's a great sign for a Colts team looking for any sort of consistency at quarterback since Andrew Luck retired in Aug. 2019.