Florida QB Anthony Richardson Debuts Top 10 in ESPN NFL Mock Draft

Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson and guard O'Cyrus Torrence were both projected in the first round of Jordan Reid's first 2023 NFL mock draft on ESPN.

Photo: Anthony Richardson; Credit: Alex Shepherd

It's mock draft season.

18 teams will begin looking toward free agency and the 2023 NFL Draft come Monday morning while analysts have already begun to do at least the latter. ESPN's Jordan Reid released his first mock for the upcoming selection ceremony on Wednesday, using the outlet's Football Power Index projected draft order to simulate the first round.

Two Florida Gators were among the 31 players projected to come off the board in round one (remember, the Miami Dolphins lost their pick due as a punishment for tampering): Quarterback Anthony Richardson and right guard O'Cyrus Torrence.

Richardson cracked the top ten picks in Reid's exercise, taken by the Carolina Panthers with the ninth overall selection. 

The Panthers fired head coach Matt Rhule after Week 5 of the 2022 season in part for the lack of a franchise quarterback being in place, and not for a lack of trying to find one. Whoever the team's next leader may be, they'll have reason to be fascinated by Richardson's potential while evaluating signal-callers this offseason. 

"Most scouts around the league agree that Richardson will be one of the toughest evaluations in this cycle. I could see him going in this range as the third or fourth quarterback off the board, but it also wouldn't be surprising to see him fall to Day 2. He only has 13 starts with middling production (24-15 TD-to-INT ratio) on his résumé, but the physical traits are eye-popping. His ceiling is really, really high.

"A lot of questions loom in Carolina this offseason, and one of the biggest is the future outlook under center. Richardson will need patience, proper development and a franchise that avoids constant staff turnover. If the Panthers can maximize him, they can stabilize their QB position. Only Houston has a worse QBR over the past three years than Carolina (32.9)." — Jordan Reid

It's been well-documented that Richardson, a one-year starter for Florida and an underclass draft prospect, struggled with consistency in 2022 but routinely made dynamic plays that would make scouts salivate. He possesses a cannon of an arm, natural pocket presence and the mobility to threaten defenses both as a rusher and as a passer on extended throwing plays. 

At 6-foot-4, 232 pounds and having reportedly clocked a 4.4-second 40-yard dash before, he's the exact type of quarterback that the NFL has glorified in the modern game. Even considering the need to improve his decision-making with the ball, teams will take a chance on Richardson's physical prowess.

The Panthers are certainly among the teams that will evaluate him before the NFL offseason begins.

As for Torrence, Reid's projection sends the one-year Gators starter — and consensus All-American — to the borderline playoff team in Pittsburgh at No. 17 overall. 

Pittsburgh just invested a first-round pick in quarterback Kenny Pickett, so improving the protection around him is important. The Steelers have historically gravitated toward wide-bodied interior blockers, and Torrence fits the mold at 6-foot-5, 347 pounds. And he uses that frame extraordinarily well in multiple areas, displaying a skill set that translates well to the Steelers' power-running scheme. And he has enough short-area quickness to be dependable in pass protection, evidenced by just two sacks allowed over nearly 3,000 career snaps.

Pickett and his fellow Steelers quarterbacks have been sacked 37 times during the 2022 season while Pittsburgh has struggled to create a consistent run game, meaning the offensive line is likely to be a priority for the teams this offseason. 

Torrence, who spent his senior season at Florida after three starting campaigns under now-Gators head coach Billy Napier at Louisiana, might be a perfect fit considering his strengths in both departments. 

Torrence was tied the FBS's highest-graded qualifying guard at run blocking during the 2022 season, per Pro Football Focus, with a mark of 89.9. PFF continues to credit Torrence for not giving up a sack in his college career, while ESPN dings him for only two sacks allowed. 

Either number would be an elite statistic considering Torrence pass-protected on 1,501 of his career snaps.

If the fit wasn't intriguing enough considering his skill set, one of Torrence's offensive line coaches at both Florida and Louisiana — Darnell Stapleton — started at the same position for the Steelers during their 2008-09 Super Bowl run.

Stay tuned to All Gators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @AllGatorsOnFN on Twitter and All Gators on FanNation-Sports Illustrated on Facebook.

Get your Gators football, basketball and other sporting events tickets from SI Tickets here.