Anthony Richardson has officially played 29 snaps with the Indianapolis Colts, and they all came in the team’s first preseason game that happened on Saturday against the Buffalo Bills. In those snaps, Richardson completed 7-of-12 passes for 67 yards and an interception, and also added seven rushing yards on two carries.
Despite Richardson’s lack of experience, he’s already being compared to the NFL’s best quarterbacks. Richardson isn’t being compared straight up, and there’s no one currently making the argument that he’s a better QB than the top guys in the league, however, his traits are being respected as such.
ESPN’s NFL experts recently ranked the top 10 quarterbacks in 10 different categories, each category representing a specific quarterback trait. The traits were arm strength, accuracy, touch, mechanics, field vision, decision-making, compete level and toughness, in the pocket, rushing ability, and second reaction.
Anthony Richardson was ranked in the top 10 of two categories: arm strength and rushing ability, and he was also highlighted in a third category, second reaction, despite not being ranked in the top 10.
Anthony Richardson is fun pic.twitter.com/IG79zOSTYQ
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) August 14, 2023
NFL experts believe Anthony Richardson has top 10 traits
Richardson’s arm strength was ranked at No. 6. His rushing ability was also ranked at No. 6. When talking about his rushing ability, Dan Orlovsky said that he’s “interested to see if Richardson can get into the top three by next season.” With guys like Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Justin Fields, and Josh Allen making up the top four, Richardson will need an impressive rookie season to break into the top three.
As far as second reaction, Richardson wasn’t voted into the top 10, but Matt Miller did name him as a riser to watch. With Richardson’s mobility and big arm, he’ll be able to make a ton of plays once the initial design breaks down.
It’s great to know the Colts have a quarterback with respected traits, but that’s never been a question with Richardson. Since his time in college, everyone has been infatuated with his traits. It’s just a matter of if he can put everything together and be a complete quarterback for Indianapolis. Time will tell.