Falcon Report

Falcons Interview Florida QB Anthony Richardson; Atlanta Draft at No. 8?

Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson is flying up draft boards. Could the Atlanta Falcons take him with the No. 8 pick in the NFL Draft?

Jeremy Brener

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Arguably the biggest riser in the NFL Draft so far, Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson is surging up draft boards.

Once considered a late first-round pick, Richardson is gaining interest from several teams at the top of the round, including the Atlanta Falcons.

The Falcons are one of seven confirmed teams to have interviewed Richardson, according to The Score.

While Richardson's numbers at Florida don't jump off the page (53.8 percent completion, 2,549 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, nine interceptions), his unique build as a 6-4 quarterback with the ability to run (654 yards, nine touchdowns) has quarterback-needy teams enamored.

In this play against the LSU Tigers, Richardson was able to escape the pocket, direct his blocker in the right direction and break a couple of tackles to run for an 81-yard touchdown.

Richardson also has the respect of his teammates and opponents, including someone who acted as both. Utah linebacker Mohamoud Diabate, a Florida transfer, gave a glowing endorsement of Richardson at the Shrine Bowl.

"I played with Anthony Richardson, I played against Anthony Richardson, and I'd much rather play with him than against him," Diabate said.

In the latest mock draft from Sports Illustrated, Richardson was taken with the No. 17 pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But if Richardson shines at the Combine this week, there's a good chance he won't be there by the time the Bucs pick and that the Falcons would have good value by selecting him with the No. 8 choice.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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