the top prospect of the 2023 NFL Draft

(CNN) — Facing the Draft from NFL(the Annual Player Selection Meeting) there is always a prospect out of college that everyone is fascinated with, despite not being the perfect player.

Sometimes, it is due to the physical traits displayed on the Combine; sometimes, to his personality; or sometimes, to his exhibition in his pro day particularly in front of the scouts.

This year’s golden boy is Anthony Richardson, and in his particular case, he has impressed at every stage of the process.

Richardson ran the fastest 40-yard dash of any quarterback, as well as jumping higher and farther in the Combine.

But it was in his pro day, at the University of Florida, where his big arm and all-around skills set social media ablaze and had teams drooling over his potential.

He was literally about to throw the ball out of the building when one of his powerful shots hit the roof of the indoor facility.

Richardson became the most tempting prospect in the draft; reports indicate that some see him as the next Josh Allen – a diamond in the rough that will take years to perfect, but has elite potential – and that teams up to the number one ranked Carolina Panthers are considering taking him .

It is those roughnesses that could make it descend in the order of draft. But the “what if” perspective that comes with Richardson — and at just 20 years old — is one that GMs and coaches across the league haven’t been able to ignore for years.

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein described as a player with “elite size, strength and athleticism for the quarterback position…potential to perform in a variety of offensive schemes…arm strength to throw deep field and into tight windows” in his official profile of the draft, but also points out his inaccuracy in the pass.

With nine picks out of the starting 12 likely to be in the hands of teams in need of quarterbacks, Richardson could find a new home anywhere in the league.

rough diamond

Richardson burst onto the football scene not because of his ability to throw the ball, but because of his catching ability.

In his first game with Florida’s Eastside High School, Richardson played wide receiver and was caught throwing an extraordinary one-handed catch, similar to Odell Beckham Jr.’s with the New York Giants.

That videopublished more than four years ago, has become a harbinger of the athleticism for which Richardson is now known.

Richardson says he has gotten a new tattoo that reads “1 of 1” to describe his unique abilities.

“A lot of people say I’m a different race. I always tell people I’m not from Earth,” Richardson told ESPN. “I’m gifted, I’m talented. I feel like God made me different, and I just try to use that in my daily life.”

He quickly earned the position of quarterback tenured, before deciding to attend the University of Florida; the university was only 15 minutes from his institute.

Richardson’s start with the Gators was disappointing: he didn’t play the first year and attempted just 64 passes the second.

It wasn’t until his junior year in college that he made his mark, starting 12 games and throwing for 2,549 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions, as the team finished 6-6 with him at the helm. He also rushed for 654 yards and nine more scores.

Richardson throws a pass during a game against the Florida State Seminoles on Nov. 25, 2022. (Credit: David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images)

This means that Richardson has only played in 13 college games in his career before entering the draft. According to ESPN, that would be the fewest college games by a first-round quarterback in the draft if selected in said round, along with Mitch Trubisky, since 2002.

Despite the lack of experience, the evidence on the tape shows that Richardson has the ability.

Richardson’s electricity with the ball in his hands isn’t limited to shooting; the young man quarterback has done races touchdown of 45, 60, 73, 80 and 81 yards in the past two seasons.

But despite those incredible plays, both shooting and running the ball, Richardson will need “a lot of work to reach a potentially high ceiling,” according to Zierlein’s assessment.

“His accuracy on short, easy throws left a lot to be desired due, in part, to poor footwork and inconsistent pace. Footwork issues can be corrected, but the challenge will be determining if he can be at least a passer functionally.” Accurate on the next level.”

But it’s that hope that Richardson can make the most of his potential that has teams intrigued.

According to FiveThirtyEightthe Richardson value in the draft he skyrocketed from a mid-first-round pick at the end of the college season to a top-five pick in a matter of months.

Analysts compare Richardson to Cam Newton, a quarterback physically dominant with some accuracy issues.

In 2011, Newton was coming off an exciting final season with Auburn, winning the Heisman Trophy and the NCAA championship, and ultimately went on to have an extremely successful NFL career with the Carolina Panthers, including winning Most Valuable Player. of the NFL (MVP, for its acronym in English) in 2015.

Matching the production of an MVP is a high bar, but Richardson’s ceiling is such that Newton’s trajectory is what a team expects that selects him in the top five of the championship. draft.

Richardson searches for a receiver during the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks. (Credit: David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images)

Richardson would also continue the trend for teams to prioritize quarterbacks in the game. draft who can excel both shooting and running the ball. Trevor Lawrence, Trey Lance and Justin Fields, in 2021, and Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts, in 2020, can count on mobility in their arsenal of weapons.

And no one wants to miss out on a franchise quarterback pick; no one wants to be the Chicago Bears taking Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes. While Mahomes has won two Super Bowl rings and two league MVPs, Trubisky is on his third team and has established himself in a backup role.

This Thursday, Richardson could be selected first or could be left out of the top 10.

His rare combination of athleticism and a great arm is an intriguing prospect and could make general managers pull their hair out if they decide to overlook him or could totally transform their prospects if he reaches his potential.