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Florida football: Anthony Richardson’s odds to go No. 1 increase

By Will Thomas

Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson (15) tries to shake off South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back Tyrese Ross (20) during first half action as Florida takes on South Carolina at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 12, 2022.Syndication Gainesville Sun
Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson (15) tries to shake off South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back Tyrese Ross (20) during first half action as Florida takes on South Carolina at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 12, 2022.Syndication Gainesville Sun /
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Florida football’s Anthony Richardson has seen his draft stock skyrocket ever since NFL teams started putting together their draft boards, and the NFL Combine only helped his case.

There was just one issue: The Chicago Bears, who had the No. 1 pick, didn’t need a quarterback.

But news came out tonight that the Bears were trading that top pick to the Carolina Panthers for a hefty return, and now AR is right back at the top of a lot of mock drafts.

Carolina has made it obvious that they want a QB in the draft this season. While they were sitting at the ninth pick, Richardson seemed to be their most likely pick given their position, and the Panthers got familiar with AR’s game.

Now, with Carolina moving to the top of the board, they may be bringing Anthony with them.

Many draft experts see Carolina as a good landing spot for Richardson. The Panthers are rebuilding, and won’t be competing for the next few years. Richardson likely won’t be ready to be a regular starter in the NFL for a few years either as he works on developing his passing game and decision-making.

In the trade deal for the pick, the Panthers sent their top wideout DJ Moore to Chicago, getting further into their rebuild. So why not take a chance on Richardson?

AR is a guy who can do everything for an offense. His running ability makes him a threat to break a big play from anywhere, so he doesn’t need to rely on playmakers around him to move the ball.

Carolina also has a nice core of young running backs that they could form a great running game around in Chuba Hubbard and D’Onta Foreman. Adding Richardson to that backfield makes it scary.

So would Richardson show up in Charlotte and immediately find himself under center? No, but that isn’t what the Panthers are looking for.

As they work towards building their roster to compete in the future, Richardson is the perfect guy to take a chance on at No. 1 with his limitless ceiling.

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