Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson appears likely to be a Top 5 pick on Thursday night. But no one seems to know where he’s going.
At multiple sports books, Richardson is favored to go in the Top 5, and yet none of those sports books have Richardson with strong odds to go to any individual team.
He’s not going to the Panthers at No. 1. By all indications they’re locked in on Bryce Young.
At No. 2, no one expects the Texans to take Richardson. Kentucky quarterback Will Levis or Texas Tech pass rusher Tyree Wilson appear to be the Texans’ top options.
At No. 3, things get interesting, as the Cardinals will look to trade down to a team that wants a quarterback. But the odds suggest that the quarterback going at No. 3 would be C.J. Stroud, not Richardson.
The Colts at No. 4 could be the landing spot for Richardson, but probably only if Young, Levis and Stroud are the top three picks.
The Seahawks at No. 5 may be the most intriguing landing spot for Richardson. They re-signed quarterback Geno Smith to a new contract this offseason, but it’s a contract they can get out of after one year, having paid Smith only $28 million. Drafting Richardson on Thursday, letting him learn on the sideline while Smith plays in 2023, and then turning to Richardson as the starter in 2024, could be the right move for the Seahawks.
It would be a surprise if a quarterback as talented as Richardson doesn’t go in the Top 5, but the NFL draft is full of surprises.