2023 NFL Combine results: Anthony Richardson sets records as Florida Gators make NFL Draft cases

By OnlyGators.com Staff
March 4, 2023
2023 NFL Combine results: Anthony Richardson sets records as Florida Gators make NFL Draft cases
Football

Image Credit: Courtney Culbreath / UAA

Nine former Florida Gators were invited to participate in the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine (National Invitational Camp) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The event, which consists of more than 300 players being put through a series of drills, tests and interviews while more than 600 NFL personnel evaluate each of them, amounts to a massive job interview ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft.

With coaching staffs, executives, player personnel and medical staff all in attendance, these athletes will be looked at from top to bottom with the draft coming up from top to bottom as teams narrow their lists before the NFL Draft, which is set for April 27-29 in Kansas City.

Florida had the third-most combine invitees this season behind only Alabama (13) and Georgia (12). The nine Gators in attendance are the most since 2015. Testing has been ongoing all week with the combine wrapping up Monday, so let’s take a look at where a significant amount of Florida players stand at the halfway point.

Gators at the 2023 NFL Combine

QB Anthony Richardson*
Height: 6’4” | Weight: 232 lbs.
Arm length: 32 3/4″ | Hand size: 10 1/2″

40-yard dash: 4.43 seconds (1st)
Bench press: DNP
Vertical jump: 40.5″ (1st) | Broad jump: 129.0″ (1st)
3 cone drill: DNP | 20-yard shuttle: DNP

Richardson wow’d evaluators all week by following his highly praised interviews with a phenomenal on-field performance. His jumps (vertical, broad) both set records for the quarterback position at the NFL Combine, and his 4.43-second 40-yard dash was the fourth-fastest all-time for a quarterback behind only Michael Vick (4.33), Reggie McNeal (4.40) and Robert Griffin III (4.41). Already projected as a first-round pick, Richardson will almost assuredly go among the top 10 selections in April as one of the top three signal callers chosen.

That is not to say he’s completely polished as a prospect. Richardson’s elite physical and athletic attributes are countered by struggles with accuracy on short and intermediate throws along with inconsistent footwork and rhythm, all of which plagued him throughout his Gators career. Though he has a plus arm and tremendous speed, Richardson was frequently inaccurate and hesitant to run. Was that because he was putting NFL preservation over collegiate success, he was directed to stay in the pocket by his coaches, or he was trying to prove his bonafides as a passer? Only he can answer that question, and only NFL evaluators will be able to determine whether Richardson is worth selecting early in the first round.

OL O’Cyrus Torrence*
Height: 6’5” | Weight: 330 lbs.
Arm length: 33 7/8″ | Hand size: 11 1/4″

40-yard dash: 5.31 seconds (27th)
Bench press: 23 reps of 225 lbs. (T20)
Vertical jump: 23.5″ (39th) | Broad jump: 101.0″ (T26)
3 cone drill: DNP | 20-yard shuttle: 4.81 seconds (T19)

With size, strength and skill, Torrence has done nothing but impress throughout his college career. He was a consensus All-American first team selection who did not commit a single penalty last season and emerged as the Gators’ best player on either side of the ball. Though Torrence does need to work on his blocking against double teams — and he put forth one of the worst athleticism scores at the combine — he offers great drive as a run blocker and a tremendous ability to sustain blocks in pass protection. He will likely be selected in the latter half of the first round or early on Day 2 should he somehow slip into the second round.

OL Richard Gouraige
Height: 6’5” | Weight: 306 lbs.
Arm length: 34″ | Hand size: 10″

Bench press: 23 reps of 225 lbs. (T20)

Though he was originally scheduled to participate in the combine workout, Gouraige was pulled from activities after the on-site physical exam. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports Gouraige “woke up with a swollen ankle” after the exam. Gouriage will almost certainly find an opportunity in the NFL, though he may be forced to move inside at guard due to his lacking enough length to play tackle at the next level. That would also hide some of his flaws, such as the inability to sustain a low center of gravity against powerful rushers. His technique, hand placement and heads up play should lead to him going early on Day 3.

LB Ventrell Miller
Height: 6’0” | Weight: 232 lbs.
Arm length: 32 1/2″ | Hand size: 9 1/8″

Miller did not participate in the combine workout due to a foot injury. A classic two-down linebacker, he was a strong leader for a Gators defense that lacked experience and discipline. Florida simply played better when he was on the field with Miller frequently making big plays despite not having a “playmaker” label due to his lack of pass rushing. A sure-handed tackler who will pick up a playbook with ease, Miller will likely be an immediate special teams starter who works his way into a team’s rotation and earns additional reps with the more time he gets on the field. He should go early on Day 3.

DT Gervon Dexter Sr.*
Height: 6’6” | Weight: 310 lbs.
Arm length: 32 1/4″ | Hand size: 9 1/2″

40-yard dash: 4.88 seconds (5th)
Bench press: 22 reps of 225 lbs. (T21)
Vertical jump: 31″ (3rd) | Broad jump: 110.0″ (T6)
3 cone drill: 7.5 seconds (5th) | 20-yard shuttle: DNP

Dexter placed among the top performers in the workout portion of the combine showing solid speed and burst for his position. Lack of explosiveness has consistently been a knock against him, and his inability to fight through double teams limits what he can accomplish at the next level. However, Dexter is shifty enough when going one-on-one to open some eyes and could elevate himself to an early Day 3 selection due to his clear potential.

EDGE Brenton Cox Jr.
Height: 6’4” | Weight: 250 lbs.
Arm length: 33 1/8″ | Hand size: 9 1/4″

40-yard dash: 4.82 seconds
Bench press: 24 reps of 225 lbs. (T9)
Vertical jump: 33.0″ (T17) | Broad jump: 115.0″ (25th)
3 cone drill: DNP | 20-yard shuttle: DNP

Cox did not place among the top performers in the workout portion of the combine. A 13-game starter and the Gators’ leading tackler in 2021, he started the first eight games of the 2022 season and posted a team-high eight tackles for loss before being dismissed by Florida (as he was previously from Georgia). Though he possesses NFL measurables, Cox does not have the speed or athleticism that matches up with the top prospects at his position. He could develop into a rotational backup at the NFL level but is unlikely to be selected before the latter portion of Day 3.

WR Justin Shorter
Height: 6’4” | Weight: 224 lbs.
Arm length: 31 5/8″ | Hand size: 9″

40-yard dash: 4.55 seconds (T31)
Bench press: DNP
Vertical jump: 35.5″ (T22) | Broad jump: 126.0″ (T20)
3 cone drill: DNP | 20-yard shuttle: DNP

Shorter’s workout was unspectacular with him not placing high in any of the combine events. His size makes him a big target at the next level, and his sure hands will have NFL teams interested in taking a flier on him. However, Shorter is slow off the snap and requires longer routes to gain separation. He also does not have breakaway speed after the catch. Look for him to go on Day 3.

DB Trey Dean III
Height: 6’2” | Weight: 200 lbs.
Arm length: 31 3/4″ | Hand size: 9 1/4″

40-yard dash: 4.75 seconds (25th)
Bench press: 25 reps of 225 lbs. (1st)
Vertical jump: 36.5″ (8th) | Broad jump: 124.0″ (8th)
3 cone drill: DNP | 20-yard shuttle: DNP

Dean posted the most bench press reps of any defensive back this year and tied for the fourth-most ever. Though he has plus size and enough athleticism to play man coverage, Dean’s consistent lack of awareness and inability to be in the right spot on the field to make plays created frequent holes in Florida’s defensive backfield. His ceiling in the NFL is likely as a special teams starter and reserve, though with the right coaching, he could develop into a third or fourth option at safety or perhaps even at cornerback. It is not a sure thing that Dean is drafted, but if he does get selected, it would be late on Day 3.

DB Rashad Torrence II
Height: 6’0” | Weight: 193 lbs.
Arm length: 32″ | Hand size: 10″

40-yard dash: 4.72 seconds (24th)
Bench press: 20 reps of 225 lbs. (6th)
Vertical jump: 33.5″ (13th) | Broad jump: 119.0″ (T11)
3 cone drill: DNP | 20-yard shuttle: DNP

Torrence’s workout performance was seen as unnotable. Though he did make a number of big plays for the Gators, those were mostly circumstances where he outsmarted the offense or put himself in the right position on the field due to his football IQ. He was never a consistent performer due to a lack of speed, explosiveness and overall athleticism. Torrence will surely be a Day 3 pick, but whether he goes in the first or second half of the day will be determined by whether teams believe his intelligence can make up for some of the areas in which he lacks.

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