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NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah had initially predicted that the Detroit Lions would draft Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson with the 18th pick of his second mock draft. However, he recently changed his prediction, stating that the Lions won't get the chance to draft Richardson at No. 18 as the QB who many believe has more upside than any other QB in the class, will be long gone by then.
“He’s not going to be there when it’s all said and done when the Lions pick with their second pick, so it’s not going to be a problem,” Jeremiah said in a conference call to preview next week's scouting combine. “The best way to do the quarterback conversation is talk to the teams that don’t need one and then you’ll get kind of an accurate feel, just how they evaluate him and what they think. And Anthony Richardson is the second quarterback for several teams that I talk to.”
Why it Matters for the Detroit Lions and Anthony Richardson
Only time will tell if the Lions decide to select Richardson in the 2023 NFL Draft, but according to Jeremiah, Brad Holmes will have to either take Richardson at No. 6, or he would have to trade up to get him because the talented QB will not last until No. 18. Holmes has made it clear that Jared Goff is the Lions quarterback moving forward, but he has also made it clear that nothing is ever off the table when it comes to improving the roster.
Could the Lions reach for a lottery ticket?
Jeremiah added that NFL teams “are starting to look at some of these quarterbacks as lottery tickets and this one has the biggest payout.”
“You can look at the numbers and it doesn’t look great on paper,” Jeremiah said. “You look at the accuracy, this, that and the other. He’s got elite, elite arm strength. He’s a rare athlete. You don’t see quarterbacks running away from LSU with 80-yard touchdown runs. Like he’s got big-time, big-time ceiling, big-time ability.”
Bottom Line: The Lions are unlikely to select Richardson
When I first saw that Jeremiah had the Lions taking Richardson at No. 18 in his 2023 NFL Mock Draft 2.0, I laughed a bit because I do not think there is any chance that he will be on the board when Detroit is on the clock. Jeremiah has shifted his tune already, and I agree with him 100% that Richardson will be long gone by the time the No. 18 pick rolls around. In fact, with the number of teams that need a quarterback, I believe Richardson will be a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft.
