Anthony Richardson has a chance to join Steve Spurrier as the only Florida quarterbacks ever taken in the top 10 picks of a NFL draft.
Charting the Gators: AR Flirting With Rarified UF Draft Air
Thursday, April 27, 2023 | Football, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It's a statistic that many an orange-and-blue-blooded fan might find astounding.
Steve Spurrier was coach at Florida for seven years before he had an offensive player taken in the first round of the NFL draft.
It's true. Spurrier's first season with the Gators was 1990. The drafts from '91-96 included 31 UF players. Twelve were offensive players, five of them offensive linemen. Before wide receiver Ike Hilliard was taken with the No. 7 overall pick by the New York Giants in the '97 draft (with fellow All-America wideout Reidel Anthony going nine picks later to Tampa Bay at No. 16), a mere two offensive skill-position players under Spurrier — wideout Ernie Mills went to Pittsburgh in the '91 third round; tailback Errict Rhett in Round 2 to Tampa Bay in '94 — heard their names called in the first three rounds.
Former Gator wideout Ike Hilliard (88), the highest-drafted offensive player of the Steve Spurrier era, to the house for the New York Giants in the 2000 NFC Championship Game. Photo by Vincent Laforet / New York Times
In fact, none of Spurrier's 12 UF teams produced an offensive player taken in the top five, with the highest Spurrier-coached quarterback ever drafted being Rex Grossman at No. 22 by Chicago in 2004. Grossman's selection came two years after Spurrier had bolted Florida for the NFL, so, technically, he was Ron Zook's draft pick (I know, I know, but don't shoot the messenger).
Which brings us to Anthony Richardson, whose polarizing, wild-card status will be one of the biggest storylines of Thursday night's opening round of the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City. The Carolina Panthers are expected to take Alabama quarterback and '21 Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young with the first overall pick. After that, Houston (picking second), Indianapolis (fourth), Seattle (fifth), Atlanta (eighth), Tennessee (11th) and Washington (16th) are long-term quarterback-needy teams — and that's just in the first half of the first round.
[Read senior writer Scott Carter's comprehensive "UF Draft Primer" here]
"There are some great scenarios where there are new head coaches that could draft the guy, give him the reps, build around what he is capable of doing," UF coach Billy Napier said. "There are also scenarios out there where he could sit behind a savvy veteran that's the consummate pro that could kind of show Anthony what it would be like to operate at a high level with multiple years of experience. I think both of those would be ideal for Anthony, but this will be a journey."
During the pre-draft process, starting with an eye-popping sequence of test results at the combine, Richardson received rave reviews for his workouts and interview sessions, thus tossing him into a quarterback-heavy draft conversation along with Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Kentucky's Will Levis; this despite a 2022 season when Richardson's statistics showed a relatively pedestrian 54-percent completion rate, 2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns, nine interceptions, with another 654 yards and nine TDs rushing on a team that went 6-6 with "AR" under center.
The clubs that like Richardson like his upside. What's not to like? He was the best athlete every Saturday he took the field in college and, frankly, may be on Sundays, also. That's why some mocks are putting him with Indy or Seattle in the top five, especially after a boatload of coaches, execs and scouts from both teams (including Colts coach Shane Steichen, in his first season with the club, and the Seahawks' Pete Carroll) were on campus for Richardson's Pro Day late last month.
Spurrier is the only quarterback in Gators' history ever taken in the top 10. The '66 Heisman winner went third overall to San Francisco in '67. If Richardson, who will be in KC with family members and Napier,when Commissioner Roger Goodell calls his name, is plucked by one of those early quarterback-needy franchises he could join Spurrier and 15 other former Gators to go in the draft's top 10.
Not even the lone Gators enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame — Jack Youngblood (drafted 20th by the Los Angeles Rams in 1971) and Emmitt Smith (17th to Dallas in 1990) — can say that.
CHARTING THE GATORS — Prime UF choice
Here's the all-time list of Florida players selected in the top 10 of the NFL Draft.A case can (easily) be made that Wes Chandler (89), shown here as a rookie with the New Orleans Saints, was the first highly drafted offensive Gator to make a a major splash in the NFL.
Pick
Player
Position
Team
Year
Fallout
2nd
Paul Duhart
Back
Pittsburgh
1945
Actually played for Green Bay in 1944 after being given special dispensation from the Army during WWII, but had to enter '45 draft. Career ended in '46 due to injuries.
3rd
Chuck Hunsinger
Linebacker
Chicago
1950
Three seasons for Bears in NFL, then three in Canadian Football League.
Steve Spurrier
Quarterback
San Francisco
1967
Played 10 NFL seasons, almost exclusively as a backup, but held 49ers' single-game TD pass record (5) until broken by Joe Montana.
Wes Chandler
Wide receiver
New Orleans
1978
One of the most electrifying WRs of his era (559 catches, 8,966 yards, 56 TD), with greatest seasons in San Diego.
Gerard Warren
Defensive tackle
Cleveland
2000
Played 11 seasons with four teams (335 tackles, 250 solo, 36.5 sacks)
Dante Fowler Jr.
Defensive end
Jacksonville
2015
Re-signed with Dallas (his fourth team) in March; played in Super Bowl LIII with LA Rams (200 tackles, 137 solo, 35 sacks). Currently with Dallas.
4th
Kyle Pitts
Tight end
Atlanta
2021
Highest-drafted tight end in NFL history. Set to enter his third season with Falcons (96 catches, 1,382 yards, 3 TDs).
6th
Lomas Brown
Offensive tackle
Detroit
1985
One of the greatest UF-produced players in NFL history, with seven Pro Bowls. Started 251 of 263 games over 18 seasons. Won Super Bowl XXXVII as backup with Buccaneers in 2002.
Kevin Carter
Defensive end
St. Louis Rams
1995
First Ram drafted after franchise moved to St. Louis. Won Super Bowl XXXIV same season he had 17 sacks. One of just 40 players in league history with at least 100 sacks (625 tackles, 442 solo, 104.5 sacks over 14 seasons with four teams).
7th
Ike Hilliard
Wide receiver
New York Giants
1997
Suffered severe neck injury as a rookie, leading to slow start to career, but played 12 seasons for Giants and Bucs (546 catches, 6,397 yards, 35 TDs).
Joe Haden
Cornerback
Cleveland
2010
Retired following 2021 season after 12 years with Browns and Steelers (615 tackles, 504 solo, 29 INTs, 2 TDs, 3 Pro Bowls).
8th
Larry Smith
Running back
Los Angeles Rams
1969
Solid career as all-purpose back with five seasons on some excellent Rams teams, then one with Washington (2,057 yards rushing, 148 catches and 1,176 receiving, 16 TDs).
Derrick Harvey
Defensive end
Jacksonville
2008
A major "bust" most famous for longest rookie holdout in Jaguars' history. Played three seasons in Jax, one in Denver (92 tackles, 72 solo, 8 sacks)
9th
Fred Taylor
Running back
Jacksonville
1999
One of the most electrifying backs of his era who currently ranks 17th all-time with 11,695 rushing yards over 13 seasons, all but two in Jax, plus 66 TDs.
CJ Henderson
Cornerback
Jacksonville
2020
Played just 10 games in two seasons for Jags before being traded to Carolina two weeks into 2022 season (75 tackles, 58 solo, 1 INT).
10th
Travis Taylor
Wide receiver
Baltimore
2000
Won Super Bowl XXXV with Ravens, but never played to his top-10 expectations (312 catches, 4,017 yards, 21 TDs with three teams over 8 seasons).
