Analyst says this QB could be the next Anthony Richardson
University of Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson broke the mold, so to speak, of what is expected of a first-round QB prospect.
Despite a middle-of-the-road 2022 season in which he threw for just 2,549 yards and 17 touchdowns with nine interceptions, Richardson had a meteoric rise during the pre-draft process that ended with his selection as the fourth overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts last week.
And according to The Athletic’s David Ubben, there’s another quarterback poised to follow a similar path as Richardson in 2023.
“Joe Milton is the next Anthony Richardson,” Ubben said during a radio interview on “Ramon, Kayla & Will.” “…I mean, if Joe Milton is not a first-round pick next year, I’ll be surprised and something had to have gone horribly wrong. At the end of the day, when you have that kind of size and speed and arm strength and all the things that sort of make NFL people salivate, it’s hard to mess up an NFL future. So Milton, I think, is that guy that…they just don’t make quarterbacks like that.”
After transferring to Tennessee in 2021, Milton started the Vols’ first two games before being benched in favor of Hendon Hooker, a 2023 third-round pick of the Detroit Lions. But now, Milton is alone at the top of UT’s depth chart and the keys to Tennessee’s offense are his. And he has plenty to offer an NFL team.
Milton has a similar build and skillset to Richardson. He's 6-foot-5, 240 pounds and has arguably the strongest arm in college football. But beyond the obvious similarities to Richardson, Milton has a quick release, he’s accurate on short-to-intermediate throws and he’s athletic enough to escape the pocket and extend plays. He’s currently projected to be a mid-first-round pick.
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