Las Vegas Raiders, Carolina Panthers Meet With Florida QB Richardson

Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson will have no shortage of suitors in the 2023 NFL Draft. Per the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the likely first-round pick met with the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders Wednesday night.

Florida QB Anthony Richardson met Wednesday night with the #Panthers — and also had dinner with the #Raiders, per sources. Carolina has the No. 1 pick, while Las Vegas is No. 7.

Full coverage of Richardson’s pro day live from Gainesville today on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/C5xyTVAcpS
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 30, 2023

Evaluators from every team in the NFL have descended on Gainsville for the Florida pro day, headlined by Richardson. At 6'4" and 244 lbs, Richardson has rare size and strength for a quarterback. He also may be one of the best athletes the position has ever seen: he dominated this year's combine, posting position-best marks in the 40-yard dash (4.43), vertical leap (40.5"), and broad jump (10'9"). His combination of a bazooka arm and punishing rushing ability recalls Cam Newton and current Buffalo Bills superstar Josh Allen.

Still, Richardson is an unfinished project. The Gator didn't have a chance to put a lot of throws on tape in his three years in college; he only completed 215 of his 393 passing attempts for 2549 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. However, he demonstrated an overpowering run style that should translate to the pros: he compiled 1116 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns over his 22 appearances, and he'll continue to dwarf many tacklers in NFL.

The Panthers taking a meeting with Richardson is somewhat surprising, given they sport the draft's first overall pick. That they're showing an interest despite his lack of success in college speaks to the transcendent potential of his physical tools.

The Raiders' meeting is also notable. They signed former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a three-year, $72.25 million deal earlier this offseason. Exploring the possibility of nabbing Richardson indicates they may not believe Garoppolo is a long-term answer. The Raiders hold the seventh overall pick in the draft.