It was fairly easy to tell who Anthony Richardson models his game after, even before he told reporters at the Scouting Combine.
The Florida Gator might be the most physically impressive quarterback in this year's draft class. Measuring in at 6-foot-4 and over 240 pounds, he's showcased that he can "run over people, jump over people, run past people [and] throw the ball pretty well."
The dual-threat quarterback can certainly do it all on the field. In his three seasons in Gainesville, Richardson threw for 3,105 passing yards and rushed for 1,116 yards. He combined for 36 total touchdowns. Since high school, he's drawn comparisons to the 2015 and 2019 NFL MVPs – which he said he models his game after.
"Growing up it was always Cam Newton for me," Richardson told media at the Combine on Friday. "When I got to high school, just seeing how dynamic Lamar [Jackson] was, I tried to implement both of those guys in my life.
"And I started calling myself 'Cam Jackson' in the 11th grade, just trying to make big plays."
While having proved he's a dynamic playmaker, he believes there's still room for improvement with his accuracy. He completed nearly 55 percent of his throws with 15 career interceptions.
"Just being consistent with my accuracy," Richardson said. "Using my arm, using my hips, using my feet, you know, just tying it all together and being consistent.
"Using my hips. A lot of people say I have a big arm, and I do believe so, but you can't just muscle the ball around all day – that's not gonna work. You gotta be tuned up, you gotta be tuned in with your mechanics."
Despite being 21 years old, Richardson believes he'll bring a leadership and maturity beyond his years to an NFL franchise. He has a "strong support system" around him, comprised of his family. He helped raise his younger brother in a single-family household while his mother worked multiple jobs to keep things afloat. He said they're his biggest motivators to be successful in football.
When Head Coach Josh McDaniels was asked what traits he wants the Raiders' next quarterback to have, he stated they're looking for players that have the "physical things you've got to have to battle through or the mental toughness to endure a couple losses and keep going." Richardson seemingly fits that description, with a lot of room to grow in the NFL.
"I'm willing to bring anything and everything that [teams] need from me. I'm gonna work, I'm gonna be dedicated to my craft, I'm gonna be a leader in that organization. Just growing and continue to grow."
For more coverage of the Combine, visit raiders.com/combine.
