A. Richardson  |  Florida 6’4”, 244 lbs.  |  05/22/2002 (20)

Anthony Richardson was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts, becoming the third Quarterback and fourth overall player in the 2022 NFL Draft.

COLLEGE PRODUCTION

Anthony Richardson was not a productive college quarterback. He barely played until 2022 when he became the starter for Florida. In 12 games, Richardson attempted 327 passes, completing just 53.8% of them for 2,549 yards, 17 TDs, and 9 INTs. That is not ideal.

However, Richardson really made his mark as a rusher. He racked up 735 yards on 88 attempts with TD runs of 45, 60, 73, 80, and 81 yards. He is truly a sight to behold in the open field.

ATHLETIC TESTING

Anthony Richardson is the most athletic QB prospect of all time. He received a perfect 10.0 relative athletic score after running a 4.43 forty-yard dash and jumping 40.5” in the vertical jump and 10’9” in the broad jump. He has the speed of Justin Fields in the body of Cam Newton. Or, if you prefer, you can just think of him as Derrick Henry playing quarterback.

DRAFT ANALYSIS 

Draft capital is important for every prospect, but it was everything for Anthony Richardson. As a top-5 pick, he will be given ample opportunity to develop as a passer at the next level. Even if he’s downright awful as a rookie, he will likely retain most of his dynasty value. Players like Zach Wilson and Daniel Jones have demonstrated this concept in recent seasons: the job security of highly-drafted rookie QBs is like a life preserver that keeps them afloat in the eyes of the market. On the other hand, if Richardson had been a second-rounder or even a late first-rounder, he would have had a significantly lower floor. 

Indianapolis was probably the ideal landing spot for Richardson. The weaponry – Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman, Alec Pierce, Josh Downs–is roughly middle of the pack, but new head coach Shane Steichen seems like a good fit for Richardson’s skillset based on his success with Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia.

FANTASY INSIGHTS

As a fantasy asset, the sky is the limit for Anthony Richardson. If he can develop into a league-average passer, his rushing ability will carry him to mid-QB1 seasons with ease. If he can develop into a Josh Allen-level passer, which is, of course, a massive if, he will be in the conversation for overall QB1 in Dynasty.

Anthony Richardson should be treated as the top fantasy QB in this rookie class, and I would be happy to take him as soon as Bijan Robinson is off the board. 

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