There are those quarterbacks in every draft class who seem to come out of nowhere to rise to first-round consideration. In 2021, Pitt’s Kenny Pickett threw 42 touchdowns and just seven interceptions — through his first four years combined with the Panthers, he had thrown 39 touchdowns and 25 picks. The past didn’t matter; Pickett’s most recent oeuvre had the Steelers taking him with the 20th overall pick when he would have been a mid-round prospect at best before that.
As we get into the 2022 college football season, we have to turn our eyes to Anthony Richardson of the Florida Gators as the most likely out-of-nowhere prospect who could have NFL scouts freaking out when it’s draft time. A four-star recruit and the fifth-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the country coming out of Eastside High School in Gainesville, Richardson committed to the Gators and spent most of his true freshman and sophomore seasons sitting behind Kyle Trask. He attempted just 66 passes, completing 39 for 559 yards, seven touchdowns, and six interceptions. Richardson was more dynamic as a runner, gaining 462 yards and scoring three touchdowns on 58 carries.
