Colts land QB Anthony Richardson with No. 4 pick

The Indianapolis Colts selected Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, fourth overall.

Richardson lit up the combine after displaying highlight-reel plays on a weekly basis. He's oozing potential at the game's most important position.

The Florida standout threw for 2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 12 games last year. Richardon's dual-threat talents gave him another 654 yards and nine scores on the ground.

Richardson is expected to be the Colts' first rookie starter at quarterback since the team selected Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft. Indianapolis has cycled through veteran signal-callers since Luck's surprise retirement.

Head coach Shane Steichen will look to unlock Richardson's immense talent as he did with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Pre-draft profile

Richardson will largely be advertised as an athletic project who needs time to develop at the next level, and we'll call that a half-truth. There's certainly work to be done, but that's the case with almost any quarterback prospect. The notion that Richardson's a massive developmental undertaking who should spend at least a year sitting behind a veteran is greatly exaggerated. A deeper look at his game reveals a player who is quietly much more refined than one would expect despite his limited experience. There are accuracy lapses, but he's shown plenty of touch and good ball placement when everything is right with his lower half. Cleaning up his feet and getting him some much-needed live reps could be all he needs to kickstart a rise to stardom. Richardson's rare skill set gives him a ceiling in the mold of the elite athlete quarterbacks who are dominating today's NFL, and he's exactly the type of player teams should be lining up to draft with the first few picks.

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