On Friday, the Carolina Panthers made a blockbuster trade, moving up eight spots in the 2023 NFL Draft, emerging with the No. 1 pick. While they paid a heavy price, the Panthers now have their choice of the top player on general manager Scott Fitterer’s draft board. Could that prospect be Anthony Richardson, the athletic freak out of Florida who blew up the NFL Combine with a dazzling array of passes and record-setting tests for a quarterback?
While Alabama’s Bryce Young and likely Ohio State’s CJ Stroud certainly merit a strong look by Carolina’s scouts, Richardson cannot be overlooked. In fact, according to ESPN’s draft expert Todd McShay, all four of the top NFL Draft QB prospects are in play for the top overall pick now that Carolina is on the clock. Kentucky’s Will Levis is the other top prospect expected to be a top-ten pick in April.
Yet, he specifically points out the amount of “buzz” surrounding Richardson potentially becoming the name Roger Goodell announces first on April 27, when the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft begins.
Related: Carolina Panthers reportedly divided between two QBs with No. 1 pick
If so, it would continue Richardson’s seemingly recent ascent up draft boards as scouts continue to dive into the former Gators’ star’s film while also getting a chance to put him through individual workouts, which will begin soon enough.
With Richardson already expected to be a top-five pick, seeing him catapult both Stroud and Young would be a big surprise. Yet maybe after seeing the potential of the 6-foot-4, 240-pound QB who can also run a 4.43 40-yard dash or uncork a 60-yard bomb downfield, we shouldn’t be surprised at all if the Panthers are just as enamored with Richardson’s skillset.
