Todd McShay says he’s ‘hearing a lot of noise’ about QB prospect

Most of the buzz regarding the best quarterbacks available in this year’s NFL Draft has focused on Bryce Young from the University of Alabama and CJ Stroud from Ohio State University.

Both are excellent and accurate passers, and while Young’s modest stature is causing much concern, many expected him to be the first player picked when the draft begins next month.

But Todd McShay says he heard Anthony Richardson had a chance to be the first choice.

As promised, here’s my adjusted Mock 3.0 with projections for all 31 first-round picks after Friday’s big trade. I’m staying with Bryce Young at No. 1 overall, but I’m hearing a lot of noise about Anthony Richardson being the target. https://t.co/awdUNUy7JT

—Todd McShay (@McShay13) March 11, 2023

Compared to Young and Stroud, Richardson may seem like an underwhelming prospect, especially when looking only at his stats.

He completed just 54.7% of his passes in three seasons at the University of Florida, and he passed for 2,549 passing yards and 176 passing touchdowns in 2022.

But unlike Young and Stroud, he’s a decent threat for gaining yards with his legs, as evidenced by his 654 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns last season.

With Richardson in charge, the Gators only went 6-7 in 2022, but his stock has risen recently after a strong performance at the NFL Scouting Combine.

His measurables there were exceptional, as he posted the highest vertical jump ever by a quarterback, and he reportedly did extremely well during the interview process.

After a huge trade on Friday, the Carolina Panthers acquired the No. 1 draft pick from the Chicago Bears, and they will have to choose between Richardson, Young and Stroud, as well as Will Levis, who is another top QB prospect.

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