Anthony Richardson - NFL Mock Draft Roundup

Geno Smith delivered an unexpectedly outstanding season for the Seattle Seahawks and even if they do bring him back, how he faded down the stretch is a concern. Drafting Anthony Richardson to sit behind Smith could be a perfect recipe given the lack of experience Richardson has while offering elite physical traits.

With Anthony Richardson still available, Seattle saw an opportunity to trade up and select a physically gifted, but raw quarterback prospect without giving up significant assets in return. The Seahawks can re-sign Geno Smith to a short-term contract and allow him to tutor Richardson.

This was the prototypical Al Davis pick, and Mark Davis may want to make a big splash. Besides, what else are the Raiders going to do at quarterback? And if Mark Davis ages very quickly, we could get a quote from him saying, "Anthony ... Richardson ... is a ... great playa."

Anthony Richardson is raw, but has a huge arm and great athleticism. He had a great 2022 debut, but struggled versus Kentucky the following week. He's been inconsistent ever since.

Yeah, when it comes to size and mobility, yeah, the Cam Newton comparisons fit as the Panthers try hope to catch that lightning in a bottle again, but Richardson isn't the same passer ... yet. In terms of talent, this is a perfect spot to take a shot at the guy who — given a little time and work — might turn out to be a far more dangerous Josh Allen.

Richardson isn't exactly the type of quarterback Josh McDaniels has worked with in the past but it's time for the Raiders offense to evolve. Richardson has big-time abilities and can be scary good if those abilities are harnessed.

Kirk Cousins will be 35 this season, which could very well end up his last in the Twin Cities. Richardson is extremely raw but he'd have the ability to sit behind the veteran for a year while providing a high-upside lane to keep the momentum going in 2024 and beyond with an interesting marriage of system and traits under Kevin O'Connell.

Before you click off the page, Lions fans, hear me out. Yes, Jared Goff looked good with Ben Johnson calling plays. But is that enough to be a legitimate contender? Even in the Rams' high-powered offense, Goff maxed out at three points versus the Patriots in Super Bowl 53.

Let Goff be the bridge QB to Anthony Richardson, who may actually be more pro-ready than some analysts believe. The Chiefs took Patrick Mahomes to sit behind Alex Smith for a year when many believed it was a wasted pick — look how that turned out.

Let's party. The Buccaneers could have questions to answer at quarterback. (Perhaps you've heard of Tom Brady?)

Whether Brady plays another year or not, Tampa Bay has to set its future in motion at some point. Anthony Richardson might not be ready for the whole show next season, so this would make the most sense if the Bucs paired him with a bridge quarterback. Ideally, that veteran could help the most traits-heavy QB prospect in this draft grow into what he could become.

Now we are getting spicy.

As noted earlier, this scenario unfolds in a world where Tom Brady is taking his talents to Vegas for the "Vegas Residency" portion of his NFL career, alongside Celine Dion, Def Leppard, and Aerosmith. That means there is a QB need in Tampa Bay. Might the Buccaneers be facing a rebuild? Perhaps, but if Brady does leave town — as he reportedly indicated to teammates after the playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys — that leaves only Kyle Trask and Blaine Gabbert on the roster at QB.

Richardson is a fascinating prospect, and I have a feeling that as the draft cycle unfolds, he is going to move closer to the top of the board for many. I also think he is closer to being NFL-ready than many would have you believe. I have been trying for almost a decade to match a QB to a Bruce Arians organization, and this might finally be the year those efforts pay off.

Anthony Richardson is one of the most exciting prospects in this class. The problem: he's short on experience, and while his physical tools are rare, the Panthers are in dire need of a starting QB right now. David Tepper could choose to go the free agency route (again), but that has been, shall we say, a crapshoot. At the end of the day, Carolina may have to move inside the top five if it's a quarterback it really wants with Day 1 starter potential.

They've started five different quarterbacks in the last two seasons and have a record of 15-18-1.

In 12 games in 2022 he had 17 TD passes, nine interceptions and a 59-percent completion rate. His mobility showed with 652 yards running and nine TDs.

Carolina takes a chance on the raw but talented quarterback that reminds some of former Panther Cam Newton.

Since our last mock, the Vikings lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Giants in a very disappointing fashion. The defense was horrid! They let the Giants gain 431 yards including running 30 times for 142 yards. The offense was OK but could not come through in the 4th quarter and only managed to run 16 times for 61 yards.

As much as the Vikings need help on defense, Kirk Cousins' decision to throw a check down when it was 4th and 8 or the season is over shows that he just doesn't have "it". He is really good and when everything else around him is almost perfect he is one of the best passers in the NFL. Unfortunately, it will never be perfect and he simply must be able to buy time to make plays when things break down. The league is changing and Quarterbacks needs to have some mobility.

The Vikings restructured Cousins' deal last year and 2023 will be his last year under contract. It is the perfect time to take a gamble on a young QB who many believe possesses the highest upside. Anthony Richardson is a polarizing prospect in the NFL Draft community who has rare speed and athleticism for the QB position. By most accounts he needs to work on his accuracy and patience in the pocket. Some scouts believe he will need two years of development which could work very nicely for the Vikings since they have Kirk Cousins under contract for 2023 and could very well give him a couple of more seasons.

Let's get this out of the way now: I wouldn't play Richardson in Year 1. He needs time to develop. He's not an NFL-ready thrower. But he is an awesome talent, a raw quarterback in a 6-foot-4 frame who would be one of the league's most electrifying runners as soon as he steps on the field. His size and physical tools cannot be taught, and NFL coaches will want to work with him and try to take him to the next level. Richardson completed just 53.8% of his passes in 2022 -- he has a long ways to go with his mechanics. Again, though, he has a high ceiling if a coaching staff can help him get there.

In this scenario, the rebuilding Panthers would need to sign a bridge quarterback -- how about bringing back impending free agent Sam Darnold? -- so that Richardson can sit on the sidelines and soak in everything. Carolina still needs a head coach, but it also has extra second-, third- and fifth-round picks from the Christian McCaffrey trade to try to improve this roster.

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