NFL

Indianapolis Colts Draft Florida QB Anthony Richardson 4th Overall

Brandon Gdula
Brandon Gdula@gdula13

The 2023 NFL Draft started off hot with two quarterbacks drafted with the first two picks, and we got a third within the top four slots after the Indianapolis Colts selected Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson fourth overall.

The NFL Draft betting odds at FanDuel Sportsbook listed Richardson's odds to be a top-five pick at +100 as of Thursday morning.

Anthony Richardson NFL Draft Profile

Regardless of whether Anthony Richardson hits his true NFL ceiling, he should be a pretty fun fantasy football quarterback. At Florida, he ranked 13th in the country in ESPN's QBR rushing metrics and also earned a 99 athleticism score by NFL Next Gen Stats.

PFF also clocked him with an average depth of target of 11.5 yards downfield, giving him a combination of rushing and downfield passing that is reminiscent of some of the game's most dynamic passers in the current NFL.

Anthony Richardson Top Comparables

According to my NFL prospect database -- which accounts for production, size, draft capital, age, and more historically important variables -- here are Richardson's top five comparable players.

  1. Josh Allen - 87.7%
  2. Blaine Gabbert - 87.3%
  3. Trey Lance - 86.2%
  4. DeShone Kizer - 84.8%
  5. Vince Young - 84.6%

Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis

The Colts sorely needed an answer at quarterback after subpar performances from Matt Ryan and Sam Ehlinger in 2022.

Ryan, per numberFire's expected points model, played 0.08 expected points per play worse than the average quarterback.

Ehlinger was 0.32 expected points per play worse than the NFL average quarterback.

Richardson stands to bring a dynamic game to the Colts that they have not had in some time.

Indianapolis Colts 2023 Outlook

The Colts' regular season win total number is set at 6.5 with -118 odds on the over, according to FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds.

Indianapolis is +10000 to win the Super Bowl, ranking them 30th in the NFL. They're +370 to make the playoffs in 2023.


The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.