NFL Draft expert Todd McShay shared his thoughts on Anthony Richardson at Florida Pro Day

The Florida Gators Pro Day is on Thursday with all eyes on quarterback Anthony Richardson, who is one of the most interesting players. He’s also who ESPN Draft analyst Todd McShay is incredibly excited about.

Ahead of that Pro Day, McShay appeared on SEC Now to talk about Richardson.

“I see a player that has just rare physical ability,” Todd McShay said. “We’ve talked about it, six-foot-four, 244lbs, runs a 4.43-40 [yard dash], jumped out of the gym in Indianapolis. So, what you look for physically, he’s got so many tools that rarely you see in a quarterback. But, there’s still inconsistency and if you look at this tape I put together, you’ll see some of the highs and the lows that he brings to the NFL level and some of the areas that he has to improve.”

Todd McShay then went to video, showing some of Anthony Richardson’s skills. He has good ball placement, especially on deep throws. He also offers excellent mobility and potential. All of that is difficult to ignore.

Unfortunately, for Anthony Richardson, there are also problems, which Todd McShay used video to point out. The first is inconsistency. He loses

“So, that’s kind of the roller coaster that I see when I’m studying Anthony Richardson’s tape,” McShay said.

“And I just talked to Billy Napier, his head coach, and I asked him, ‘Where are the two areas that you think he’s going to have to grow in the NFL to reach that great potential?’ And he said, ‘He’s a very smart young man. He picks things up quickly. but he’s only started 13 games. He’s got to do a better job and really progress in terms of understanding the defensive structure, getting the pass protection set, knowing what they’re showing presnap, and then adjusting during his snap.’ And that’s gonna come with game reps.”

The other major concern for Anthony Richardson is his youth. Being a leader of men at his age is going to be incredibly difficult, though he needs to do it.

“Second is leadership. Remember, he’s just 20 years old. Right? He’s gonna be 21 as a rookie with just 13 starts. So, he’s now going into a grown man’s league. How is he gonna handle that and probably not be a starter for the first year at least? So, it’s going to be interesting to see how he matures and develops as a leader moving forward.”

McShay further emphasized that whatever team takes Richardson needs to be patient with him and give him time to develop for the future.

Anthony Richardson met with NFL teams before Pro Day

Kevin Patra of NFL.com reported that Anthony Richardson met with the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders ahead of his Pro Day.

“Like the other potential top quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft, Anthony Richardson has met with the team owning the No. 1 overall pick ahead of his Thursday pro day, airing live on NFL+ at 11:30 a.m. ET. NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Thursday morning that Richardson met with the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday night, per sources informed of the situation,” Patra reported.

“The Florida QB also had dinner with the Las Vegas Raiders, who hold the No. 7 spot.”