Anthony Richardson’s NFL combine performance was out of this world

Former Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson was one of the more anticipated participants in this year’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, and he lived up to the hype in the on-field drills.

Officially measured at 6’4 and 244 pounds, Richardson motored down the field in his 40-yard dash, clocking in at an unofficial time of 4.44 seconds in his first run.

Richardson, who has compared his game to NFL MVPs and Heisman Trophy winners Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson, broke Cam’s combine record for highest vertical leap by a quarterback. How does 40.5 inches sound to you?

Richardson also set a new quarterback record for the broad jump, soaring a ridiculous 10’9.

Tabulate those numbers and you have a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) that’s 10 out of 10.

And here are some actual workout/throw the football highlights:

Richardson’s electrifying highlights at Florida made it clear he was extremely athletic, and the combine has confirmed that the hype will not stop. Much like Will Levis of Kentucky, the unimpressive passing stats in 2022 were largely chalked up to a poor surrounding supporting cast, hence they’re still projected to go high in Round 1. Unlike Levis, Richardson doesn’t have a full season’s worth of starts preceding last year, but his potential as a franchise quarterback is going to be considered off the charts. At the very least, even if he’s not a Day 1 starter, his gifted ability as a runner could get him some playing time like we’ve seen with Trey Lance, Justin Fields, and Jalen Hurts over the years.

The Seattle Seahawks are scheduled to pick at #5 overall and while Geno Smith figures to be re-signed, it doesn’t rule out the possibility of taking a quarterback. If they want Richardson, it’ll have to be at 5th at this rate... and even that’s far from a guarantee he’ll even be available by then.