Anthony Richardson did not impress NFL teams in 1 area?

Mar 3, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson (QB11) speaks to the press at the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Richardson generated more headlines than any other player at the NFL Scouting Combine last week, but teams apparently still have some concerns about the former Florida star.

Following all the reports that Richardson turned heads in Indianapolis, NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein threw some cold water on the hype. Zierlein said the insane numbers Richardson posted during the Combine essentially confirmed that Richardson is a freak athlete, but most people already knew that. What teams want to see is that Richardson is capable of reading zone defenses and making accurate throws.

Yeah but the level of athleticism isn’t relevant since our assumption went from elite to super elite. That’s not really an area of any concern. The area you want to see improve is working against zone, accuracy on simple throws, better footwork and consistency from game to game

— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) March 7, 2023

“Yeah but the level of athleticism isn’t relevant since our assumption went from elite to super elite. That’s not really an area of any concern,” Zierlein wrote on Twitter. “The area you want to see improve is working against zone, accuracy on simple throws, better footwork and consistency from game to game.”

Zierlein then replied to a Twitter user who claimed teams were extremely impressed with Richardson during interviews. The analyst said he and podcast co-host Dane Brugler heard the opposite.

I did not hear that he "killed it in interviews". Heard all the QBs were just okay in interviews. Doing a podcast now with Dane and he said teams were surprised at how far behind he was from a football standpoint.

— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) March 7, 2023

“I did not hear that he ‘killed it in interviews.’ Heard all the QBs were just okay in interviews. Doing a podcast now with Dane and he said teams were surprised at how far behind he was from a football standpoint,” Zierlein said.

For comparison, Zierlein mentioned Malik Willis and how there was talk of the former Liberty star blowing teams away in Combine interviews last year. Willis then slipped to the third round, where the Tennessee Titans drafted him.

Richardson is still viewed as a raw prospect, even if his physical tools are off the charts. It would be a surprise if he is taken before CJ Stroud, though he seems to be climbing up the board. One team with an early pick reportedly has strong interest in Richardson.

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