Is Anthony Richardson As Raw As Everyone Says?
Maybe, but not in the way you think.
Raw.
When you think of that word, do you think of uncooked steak? Do you think about lacking experience or skill, similar to someone new on the job? Or, if you’re a football nut like me, do you think about a prospect who needs fine tuning for the NFL?
That’s where many analysts and fans are at when describing Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. Using words like “boom or bust”, “limitless upside”, and of course, “raw”. But, his evaluation is much more complicated than that, and it might not be aligned with how you’re using that word.
Anthony Richardson only started one full year for the Gators, and just a few games the year prior. The box score stats don’t jump off the page. In 2021, Richardson threw for just 17 touchdowns to nine interceptions, and built a completion percentage of just 53.8 percent.
It isn’t ideal. Production matters to the NFL, as do starts, but while the stats aren’t jaw-dropping, the film paints a more complicated picture.
Richardson has the wow throws that excite analysts and scouts. With just a flick of his wrist, we see Richardson put effortless velocity on the football that can travel 50-60 yards with ease. His deep passing is impressive, as the accuracy-plus plays show up everywhere, both within the pocket and on the move. The velocity he generates can thread tight windows.
Mobility and play extension is huge now in the NFL, and it has been in college for some time. Richardson can get to the “second play”, a play of reaction, extension, and creation on the move. His mobility along with that size will give him those opportunities to scramble in the league, as will his speed.
There aren’t many quarterbacks who move like Richardson does, and that was crucial for Richardson as a runner. He ran for 654 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022. His toughness and willingness to take on contact will generate extra yardage, but he has the breakaway speed to turn a run into a long score, like he did against LSU this past fall.
Most will look at the physical traits and stop there, throwing some coded language in to force the idea that Richardson is physically gifted but doesn’t have the mental acumen to succeed. The classic trope “doesn’t have it together upstairs” is silly, and also completely wrong.
Richardson does great things from the pocket. He understands where to go with the football in passing concepts, and will often make some extremely impressive reaction throw during the play whilst reading the coverage. Take a play against Georgia for example. Georgia plays trap coverage on the stick concept, baiting Richardson to throw the out route. Richardson recognizes what’s happening, and instead throws the go ball over the safety for a touchdown.
There are plenty of anticipatory throws on film as well. Whether it be recognizing that a receiver is about to cross a zone defender to work up the seam, or whether a receiver is starting his break, Richardson makes those plays, throwing into a window that’s about to be open rather than waiting for it to open on its own.
Plenty of quarterbacks will be “first read and leave” type of players. If the first read isn’t there, they either immediately begin scrambling to buy time that isn’t necessary, or drop their eyes to focus on the pressure rather than read out the rest of the concept. Richardson is great in this area, buying time within the pocket when called upon to do so. He maneuvers well while keeping his eyes downfield, and can often locate receivers and windows and put the football on the money.
Let’s not forget about the ability to move defenders with one’s eyes, a high-end trait the top quarterback use. Richardson has done this as well. Against Tennessee, Richardson kept his eyes on the linebackers as crossing receivers traversed through their zones. The linebackers kept their eyes on the receivers moving right to left, and Richardson waited for the crosser moving left to right to get through the zone, and it was an easy pitch and catch for an explosive gain.
Richardson Is Raw, But Not In The Way You’re Conditioned To Believe
There’s a reason that Anthony Richardson is a high-ceiling prospect. When everything is clicking, he’s an excellent quarterback. But, there are things he needs to tweak in order to have a successful NFL career.
There are some questionable decisions, but most are in the way of playing hero ball. He wants to make something happen late, or opts for the go-balls outside the numbers. He needs to work on his touch on intermediate seam routes. He throws the ball with a ton of velocity. While that has its benefits, adding a changeup to his fastball will improve his accuracy and give him options to find more windows as a passer. The RPO/quick passing game creates unnecessary, conditioned urgency on Richardson’s part. He’s often antsy to get rid of the ball, and we often see the ball travel wide or low.
The last bit is what leads us to where Richardson is truly raw: mechanics. Most of what we see in terms of accuracy issues, especially seeing wide misses down the field and in the quick passing game, is mechanical in nature. There are times where his cognitive processing is certainly ahead of his body, but often his top and bottom half are disconnected, increasing the chance of a wider range of variance. Honing his skills mechanically is where an NFL team will need to work with him.
So actually, if you’re using raw to describe Richardson, it’s the physical traits that need to be fine-tuned rather than anything mental, and that’s where the perception on Richardson is misguided. This is where, for him, comes the idea of being a high-ceiling player that just needs to tune and refine his game. The right coaches will help him stay connected as one motion throwing the football, help him be less urgent in the quick game, and work on a changeup to get Richardson to where he can be, which is, believe it or not, the potential QB1 in the 2023 NFL Draft when we look back in a few years.
So, use raw if you want, but you’re better off going more in depth to describe a player. We must strive to better in terms of describing prospects, because “raw” doesn’t present a good picture, and can lead to inaccurate perception. Or, instead, look at Richardson as having the ability to scramble as a runner and win from the pocket with advancing mental fortitude, but just needs work on mechanics. An offense can build a strong rushing floor for Richardson, give him the ability to attack the middle of the field, trust him with full-field reads, and let him uncork deep balls until the finer details are mechanically sound.