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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Near the end of the University of Florida’s pro day, Anthony Richardson launched a pass that crashed into the ceiling of the practice facility instead of into his receiver’s arms. The heave may have missed its target, but it displayed Richardson’s powerful arm during the job audition.
The display encapsulated the scouting report on Richardson, who is projected as a top-10 selection in the N.F.L. draft: jaw-dropping talent, erratically deployed. The combination earned him the dreaded “project” label, a euphemism scouts dole out to athletic quarterbacks who are expected to need help discerning how to lead an N.F.L. offense.
The label has dogged quarterbacks before, players who, like Richardson, exhibited intriguing talent but whose college careers did not quite inspire scouts’ confidence that they would immediately be successful as pros.
Trey Lance fielded questions about quality of competition and lack of starts before the San Francisco 49ers made him the third quarterback selected in the 2021 draft. Malik Willis faced similar scrutiny coming out of Liberty in 2022, when he slipped to the third-round pick of the Tennessee Titans.
Before he is tested by an N.F.L. defense, Richardson will first need to face down that label.
“A lot of people say I have a ‘high ceiling,’ but if I don’t put the work in, then I’m not going to reach that ceiling,” Richardson said. “If I don’t put the work in, none of this matters.”
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