Anthony Richardson’s NFL Combine performance increases value of Bears’ No. 1 pick

The value of the No. 1 overall pick went up quite a bit with the explosive NFL Combine performance of Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson.

The raw but incredibly gifted Richardson is a popular first-round player in most mock drafts, and after wowing scouts and general managers at Lucas Oil Stadium Saturday, he’s now squarely in the mix to be the first overall pick.

Anthony Richardson’s combine profile:

Height: 6042
Weight: 244
Vertical: 40.5” (best ever by a QB)
Broad: 10’ 9” (best ever by a QB)
40: 4.44u

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 4, 2023

Of all the likely first-round quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft — Bryce Young, Will Levis, CJ Stroud — Richardson offers the highest upside. His rare blend of size, athletic ability and positional traits may have pushed him to the front of the pack.

Anthony Richardson is having himself a day.

4.44u on his first run. @GatorsFB

: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/G1Uv9cyPst

— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2023

“Growing up, it was always Cam Newton for me,” Richardson said at the NFL Combine. “But then when I got to high school, just seeing how dynamic Lamar (Jackson) was. I tried to implement both of those guys in my life. I started calling myself Cam Jackson in 11th grade, just trying to make big plays. Just Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson.”

According to @NextGenStats and @ZebraTechnology Anthony Richardson reached a top speed of 23.44 MPH on his unofficial 4.44 40-yard dash.

The top speed by a ball carrier (with a helmet and pads) last season was 22.11 MPH.

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) March 4, 2023

Anthony Richardson, 2023 QB class improved stock at NFL Combine

Anthony Richardson’s NFL Combine performance enhances the trade value for the Chicago Bears and the No. 1 overall pick. Teams that were hoping Richardson would fall to them at, say, No. 8 (Atlanta Falcons) or No. 9 (Carolina Panthers) now have to recalibrate their plan. There’s no chance he’ll fall that far down the top 10, and he could be the target of several teams’ attempt to trade up to the first pick.

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young checked some critical boxes at the NFL Combine, too. He measured in at 5-10 and 204 pounds. Sure, that’s still undersized, but he weighed about 10 pounds heavier than some analysts predicted.

Even Will Levis and CJ Stroud had strong showings as passers in the on-field workouts.

This is all good news for the Chicago Bears and the No. 1 pick. The NFL Combine began with th Bears leaning toward trading out of the top pick. Now, with how well Anthony Richardson and the rest of the quarterbacks performed, the offers the Bears are certain to get will be too good to pass up.

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