Todd McShay reveals biggest problem facing Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson

The 2023 NFL Draft is only a few months away and the NFL Combine will be here before we know it. So it’s time to talk NFL Draft prospects and one of the most interesting is Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson.

He’s one of the most polarizing prospects in the class, one that ESPN analyst Todd McShay had an interesting take on after seeing him play live this season.

“Every discussion was maybe he’s the Heisman, maybe he’s the No. 1 overall pick, so I chose to go down to that game, Kentucky-Florida,” McShay explained. “And what I saw was a Mike Stoops defense that had a great gameplan, and a defense that bought into the gameplan. Gap discipline. They didn’t allow him to run. If you’re going to beat us, beat us in the pocket throwing the football and we’re going to give you a lot of different looks.”

Richardson finished that game 14-of-35 passing for 143 yards. He had no touchdown passes and two interceptions, and he only added four yards rushing on six carries.

Not his best outing.

“Now, here’s what I know about Anthony Richardson,” McShay said. “(He’s) 6-4, 220-plus, howitzer for an arm, one of the best runners that we’ll have, the best runner in this draft class and will immediately in the NFL be one of the top-5 mobile quarterbacks. What’s wrong? He has the intelligence, he just hasn’t translated it yet. He hasn’t figured it all out.”

Key questions for Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson

How quickly can Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson figure things out? That’s arguably the biggest question for NFL Draft scouts.

The potential is undeniable, but there’s a lot of work still to be done to fully unlock it on a consistent basis.

“And when I talk to more people at Florida, here’s what I keep getting: Does he have the dog in him? Is he a guy who’s like, ‘Not on my watch, not today. I’m carrying this team, it’s over, we’re going to win this game,'” McShay said. “They haven’t seen that from him, so he’s going to have to mature in the NFL. And hopefully he goes to a team where there is a veteran quarterback who has kind of that dog in him and can show him what it takes preparation-wise, toughness-wise, and just the ability to drown everything else out and be the guy when your team needs it. That’s really the question.”

Of course, all it takes is one team deciding the answer to that question is more likely to come up positive than not.

So where is McShay hearing Richardson might be drafted?

“I’ve talked to some teams, they have him at No. 3; one team who has him at No. 3, ahead of Will Levis,” McShay said. “I’ve talked to another team who has him as a second-, third-round grade. He is the most polarizing player in this entire draft class. He’s a great young man. He’s so intelligent. I think he’s going to figure it out, but he’s going to need some time.”