Anthony Richardson Wont Get Drafted By The Bucs

Don’t worry, Bucs fans.

Tampa Bay won’t select Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson with its first-round pick.

Richardson, who is one of the most polarizing prospects in this year’s draft among scouts – and Bucs fans – had a formal meeting with Tampa Bay this week at the NFL Scouting Combine. But after crushing it in interviews with several NFL teams and the media, Richardson dazzled in the on-field workouts where his tremendous athleticism was on display.

After a record-setting Combine performance Richardson will be drafted well before the Bucs, who only have one quarterback on the roster in Kyle Trask, pick at No. 19 in the first round.

“I have [met with the Bucs],” Richardson said. “It went pretty well – just getting to know them and talking about my life and talking about ball. It went pretty well.”

The Bucs also met with Kentucky’s Will Levis, who also shined in Indianapolis, and figures to be drafted in the Top 15. If there was a chance the Bucs had of a quarterback falling to them in the first round it would have been the raw Richardson. But after his athletic showcase in Indy he’s a lock to be drafted in the Top 15 – if not earlier – too.

According to Next Gen Stats, Richardson’s Combine numbers, which included a 4.44 in the 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4, 238 pounds, put him in the 99th percentile of all QBs in Combine history.

The concern in the scouting community is Richardson’s accuracy. He completed just 53 percent of his passes in his one year as a starter at Florida.

Sitting behind Trask in 2020 and Emory Jones in 2021, Richardson finally got his opportunity to start last year and completed 176-of-327 passes for 2,549 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Richardson also ran for 654 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 6.3 yards per carry during his junior season.

“[Some say] I’m a project, so I guess teams know I have room to go,” Richardson said. “They see sparks in me, and I see it as well. I don’t have to talk about experience with them because they see my tape. They know I’ve been playing ball for a while. I think I’m ready and I know I’m ready.”

While he’s been labeled a project, it’s fair to point out that Richardson didn’t get much proper coaching during Dan Mullen’s time at Florida. The Gators standout is very young at 20 years old and has tremendous upside due to his strong arm, NFL-sized frame and athleticism. With proper coaching at the next level, Richardson could improve his accuracy, which was a bit shaky during some of his on-field throws at the Combine.

“A lot of people say I’m immature because I’m only 20 years old, but I had to grow up early,” Richardson said. “I had to raise my younger brother because my mom was working two to three jobs per year. A lot of people don’t know my situation and don’t know my story. That’s why I’m here – to tell my story and let people know who am I.

“I’m just excited because I feel like I’m growing in myself and I’m just having fun with the process. Watching different film – watching Joe Burrow, watching Justin Herbert, watching Josh Allen last year with my coaches. I feel like I’m able to do those things that those guys are able to do. They’re great on their teams, so I’m ready to get on my team, get in my system and become great just like those guys.”

Anthony Richardson Could Wind Up As A Bucs Rival

So where will Anthony Richardson go after a fantastic performance at the Combine?

Pro Football Network has Richardson now going first overall to Houston, which would trade up one spot to get him, after his Combine performance. The Colts, who pick at No. 4, are also a very quarterback-needy team. And the Seahawks, who pick fifth overall, could also be interested in drafting Richardson and letting him sit and develop behind Geno Smith for a year.

How committed to Jared Goff are the Lions, who pick sixth overall? CBS Sports has Richardson going to Las Vegas at No. 7 in its new post-Combine mock draft.

Don’t be surprised if one of Tampa Bay’s division rivals – either Atlanta, which picks eighth, or Carolina, which picks ninth – drafts Richardson. The Falcons are slated to start Desmond Ridder, last year’s third-round pick, but Richardson’s value as a runner is a better fit for Arthur Smith’s run-first offense.

The Panthers also need a quarterback. Sam Darnold is slated to be a free agent, and might not return. Matt Corral was a Day 3 draft pick last year, who missed his rookie season due to injury.

Both the Falcons and Panthers have thrived with dual-threat quarterbacks in the past. Michael Vick took Atlanta by storm from 2001-08, and made three Pro Bowls during that span. Cam Newton was a force in Carolina from 2011-19, making three Pro Bowls and winning the NFL MVP in 2015 while taking the Panthers to the Super Bowl.

Is Anthony Richardson The Next Cam Newton?

Anthony Richardson grew up idolizing Newton as a young kid, and later became a Lamar Jackson fan.

“Growing up it was always Cam Newton for me,” Richardson said. “But then I got to high school and I seeing how dynamic Lamar was, I tried to implement both of those guys in my life. I started calling myself ‘Cam Jackson’ in 11th grade – just trying to make big plays.”

Prior to the Combine, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah had the Lions selecting Richardson at No. 18 – one spot before the Bucs pick at No. 19. Now it seems certain that Richardson won’t even make it that far. His raw athleticism and his drive to be great will put him out of Tampa Bay’s reach.

“I want to be a legend – I want to be like Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady,” Richardson said. “I want to be one of the greats. I will be one of the greats because I’m willing to work that hard and get to that point. … I feel like I’m going to be one of the greatest in the next few years.”

Anthony Richardson Raves About Kyle Trask

Instead of having the chance of drafting Anthony Richardson, the Bucs will have to settle for developing Kyle Trask, who has buried on the depth chart behind Tom Brady and veteran quarterback Blaine Gabbert since being Tampa Bay’s second-round pick in 2021. Richardson spoke glowingly about Trask at the Combine, and suggested the Bucs are in good hands with his former teammate.

“Kyle is a legend,” Richardson said. “He’s a Florida legend. Just watching him and sitting behind him, he taught me how important it is to wait your turn and how important it is to grind. That guy, he knew everything about the offense. He knew the blocking schemes, the receiver routes, and his sets.

“At one point in time, he was calling plays for himself. The Bucs can definitely expect that from him again because he’s a guy that is great mentally and he has a beautiful arm. I try to implement that in myself. He’s a great guy and they’re going to get that.”

Even if Richardson were to somehow slide to the Bucs at No. 19, the team seems committed to seeing what Trask can do this year after spending the last two seasons developing him.

“We’re very excited about Kyle,” Bucs general manager Jason Licht said. “We’re very excited about him getting the opportunity to be the starter – we’d be very comfortable with that. [We’re] excited – I’ve used that word already but I really am – for him to get a chance to be with the starters in offseason, starters in training camp, starters in preseason, which he’s never done.

“He was a successful quarterback in the SEC – I mean, wildly successful. We took him in the second round for a reason – we didn’t take him in the second round just to be a third-string quarterback. Now, it has yet to be seen what he turns out to be, but we’re confident that it’s going to be very good.”