Recent 2023 mock draft has Vikings picking a new franchise QB

The NFL Draft Bible has the Minnesota Vikings using their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on former Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Heading into the 2023 NFL Draft, there’s a chance that the Minnesota Vikings could take a chance on a young quarterback prospect. This possibility appears to be something that draft analysts agree on, as a recent 2023 mock draft has the Vikings selecting former Florida signal-caller Anthony Richardson in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft.

The NFL Draft Bible, of Sports Illustrated’s FanNation network, released a 2023 mock draft on Monday, and they have Minnesota taking their first step away from Kirk Cousins as their starting quarterback by selecting Richardson.

The former Florida quarterback is viewed by some as a potential top-10 pick in this year’s NFL Draft, so if he fell all the way to the Vikings at the No. 24 selection, it might feel like somewhat of a steal.

Minnesota Vikings select former Florida QB Anthony Richardson in recent 2023 mock draft

If Richardson somehow falls past the top-20 picks in the 2023 draft, it might be hard for Minnesota to not grab him off the board.

ESPN has the former Florida passer currently ranked as the fourth-best quarterback in this year’s draft class and the 32nd-best prospect overall. If he tests well during the next few months, it’s possible that Richardson could end up ranking even higher by the time the draft begins in April.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 232 pounds, the physical traits of the former Florida quarterback were recently described as “eye-popping.” by ESPN’s Jordan Reid. Richardson’s ceiling in the NFL is also believed to be “really, really high,” according to Reid.

As a redshirt sophomore at Florida in 2022, the young passing prospect only completed 53.8 percent of his passes for 2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. But Richardson also rushed for 654 yards and nine touchdowns on 103 carries last season (6.3 yards per attempt).

He’s clearly viewed by most as more of a project quarterback who could use a year or two on the bench before becoming a starter in the NFL. So ending up with the Vikings could turn out to be the perfect situation for him if he’s allowed to sit and learn behind Cousins for a season or two before taking over under center.