Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson is as unique a quarterback prospect as there's been in years. He led all quarterbacks in the nation in yards per carry last season (6.3), and his career yards per carry (6.9) is the third-highest by a college quarterback in the 21st century behind only current Arizona Cardinals quarterback and former first overall draft pick Kyler Murray, as well as former Navy quarterback Malcolm Perry.
Should Richardson be taken in the first round as projected, his 24 career collegiate passing touchdowns would be the fewest by a first-round quarterback since Michael Vick in 2001 (21), and his 55% career completion percentage would be the lowest by a first-round pick since Jake Locker's 54% career completion percentage in 2011.
However, in the past five college football seasons, he's shown an explosive, dual-threat ability only matched by a couple of Heisman Trophy winners in Murray and USC quarterback Caleb Williams. They are the only three quarterbacks with multiple passing touchdowns of 50 or more air yards and multiple rushing touchdowns of 50 or more yards in a single season in that span.
It's flashes of big-play potential like that led Richardson to say Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine that he has always seen himself as a combination of a couple of dual-threat NFL MVPs who could also torment defenses by either passing or running.
"I started calling myself Cam Jackson in the 11th grade," Anthony Richardson said Friday, via The Athletic. "Just trying to make big plays, just like Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson."
Although despite making stylistic comparisons to Newton and Jackson, the former Florida Gator said he wants to win like two of the best quarterbacks of the 21st century.
"I want to be a legend," Richardson said, via TennesseeTitans.com. "I want to be like Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady. I want to be one of the greats."
Richardson revealed he has had positive meetings with multiple teams already at the combine, and he said teams are going to appreciate his skill set even more when they see him go through drills on Saturday. He said, via WSB Channel 2, he told the Atlanta Falcons he can run a 40-yard dash faster than their former fourth overall pick tight end Kyle Pitts, who posted a 4.44-second 40-yard dash at his Florida Pro Day.
If Richardson puts up those kind of numbers, it would make him one of the fastest quarterbacks to come through the combine ever, and it would have him in contention to be a top-five or top-10 overall pick in the 2023 draft.
