The Shields Painting Difference: Perfection with Every Brush Stroke
Many painting companies in Florida rely on flashy marketing and big promises to try and attract new clients. But when it comes time to work, they fall short of their promises. This is often due to a lack of experience, qualified painters, and a drive to overachieve. At Shields Painting, we do things a little differently than other painting companies in Citrus County. We believe that a professional paint job should be as close to perfect as possible. Our goal is to leave you 100% satisfied, whether we're touching up an old residential paint job or performing a complex commercial project. It might sound simple, but we achieve that goal through honesty, hard work, beautiful results, and reasonable pricing.
As a family-owned and operated painting company in Anthony, FL, we strive to provide personalized, professional, and friendly service. Shields Painting has been in business since 1968 for a good reason. Whenever possible, we go the extra mile to make sure our customers are happy. Unlike some of our competition, we want to know all about your house or business painting project: your vision, your preferences, your challenges, and your goals. When we understand your needs, we can present you with a fantastic final product - one that you're proud to show off to friends and neighbors.
At Shields Painting, we combine our extensive experience with time-tested, meticulous painting processes, resulting in the highest quality painting results around. As a painting contractor in Citrus County, we can take on a variety of residential, commercial, and industrial projects in Florida.
A few of our most popular painting services include:
- Interior Painting
- Exterior Painting
- Residential Painting
- Commercial Painting
- Cabinet Painting
- Ceiling Painting
- Fence Painting
- Sign Painting
- MUCH More!
Our commercial, industrial, and residential painting contractors take the proper steps to protect your property and belongings while we work. Our team will clean up after ourselves, so your property is left clean and free of debris when we're done. After all, we think there's only one way to do a job, and that's the right way.
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Eco-friendly & clean work area.

PDCA Certified Member.

Your Go-To House Painting Company in Anthony, FL
Your home is a haven of relaxation and solitude. It is uniquely you - a place where you can express who you are through style and design. Whether you need interior touch-ups for your crown molding or a new exterior coat of paint, hiring a reliable painting contractor is the best way to get quality results.
At Shields Painting, we know how important it is to have a home that highlights your tastes and personality. That's why we offer an extensive array of residential painting services in Citrus County. As tempting as it might be to try a DIY paint job, without the proper skills and experience, there is a good chance that the results will turn out less than satisfactory.
High-quality painting requires skill, experience, and patience. If you're a homeowner who needs residential painting services but doesn't have the time, patience, or skills to handle the job, look no further than Shields Painting. We offer accuracy, precision, and longevity with each paint job we perform. Our customers choose Shields Painting for their home because they receive:
- Free Quotes with Detailed Project Breakdowns
- Affordable Pricing
- Expert Painting Contractors
- High-Quality Paint Products
- Combo of Traditional and Modern Techniques
- Well-Maintained Tools
- Unmatched Craftsmanship
- Friendly, Personalized Service
- Good Old-Fashioned Hard Work!
The majority of our house painting services come in two forms: interior and exterior.
Interior Residential Painting
As an interior painting contractor with decades of experience, our expert technicians have developed an interior painting process that maximizes quality and emphasizes customer satisfaction. We understand that interior painting goes beyond aesthetics. It protects your ceilings and walls and helps you sustain a healthier place to live for your family. When only the finest craftsmanship will do inside your home, Shields Painting is here for you.
Our seasoned team of painting experts and craftsmen is dedicated to respecting your space and providing you with the look and feel you're craving inside your home. Whether you bought a new house and want to make it your own or need minor touch-ups but have no time, Shields Painting is ready to tackle the job, no matter how small or large.
Unlike some painting companies, our interior house painters take the time to get the details right, every time. For instance, color is only one aspect of your interior paint job. The paint sheen or finish is just as important. Certain finishes are better for living rooms and bedrooms than in kitchens and bathrooms. We'll help you find the right finish and paint colors for your home, so you don't have to worry about touch-ups or repainting.
Some of our most popular interior house painting services include:
- Ceiling Painting
- Popcorn Ceiling Removal
- Living Room Painting
- Bathroom Painting
- Basement Painting
- Color Consultations
- More

Cabinet Painting
Citrus County cabinet painting deserves its own section on this page because it requires more time, skill, and quality paint than most sections of your home. If your home's cabinets are built into its woodwork, replacing them can be obnoxiously expensive. Compared to the cost of installing new cabinets, painting your kitchen cabinets is much more affordable.
At Shields Painting, we specialize in transforming old cabinets into new, gorgeous features that are just as usable as they are beautiful. Each step of our cabinet painting process is meticulous and thorough. And we'll take care of the entire job, from cleaning, prep, and sanding to priming, painting, and reassembly. This unique service lets you enjoy a brand-new look in your kitchen without having to go into debt by replacing your cabinets.
Whether your cabinets are new, but you want to change their color or you'd like to transition wood cabinets to a painted finish, Shields Painting has the expertise and experience to give you a new look you'll love.

Exterior Residential Painting
Your home - it's a place that not only keeps your belongings safe. It protects your family and loved ones, too. It's one of your largest investments, and like anything else of value, it should be protected. However, Florida weather can take a toll on your home's structure and paint, lowering your home's value and even putting your family at risk.
While it's true that a beautiful exterior affects your house's value, it shouldn't take thousands of remodeling dollars to make a positive change to your home. There's a fine line between reasonable pricing and top-quality painting, and that sweet spot is what Shields Painting aims for. If you want to transform how your friends and neighbors see your home, never underestimate the power of a professional paint job.
Our exterior residential painting services are designed to boost curb appeal, give your home a fresh look, and help it stand up to Florida's unique weather. But we provide more than that. When you hire Shields Painting for your outdoor painting project, you will enjoy peace of mind in knowing that your home is in truly capable hands. Our goal is to exceed your expectations and help bring out the best in your property, whether you need to re-stain your deck or remove old, peeling paint from your siding.
If you're on the hunt for the very best exterior painting contractor in Anthony, FL, look no further than Shields Painting.
Some of our most popular exterior house painting services include:
- Vinyl Siding Painting
- Deck Painting and Staining
- Stucco Exterior Painting
- Wood Exterior Painting
- Porch Painting and Staining
- Soffit Painting
- Fascia Painting
- Window Painting
- Front Door Painting
- Thorough Painting Prep
- More

The Premier Commercial Painting Company in Anthony, FL
When it comes to first impressions, your businesses' appearance plays an important role. Your commercial property's paint job factors into its overall aesthetics. A great-looking, well-maintained paint job can mean the difference between a customer walking in your storefront and passing by. Conversely, an old, worn-out commercial paint job can send the wrong message to prospective customers. If you can't take the time to keep up your property's appearance, why would a customer spend their hard-earned money on your products?
The same goes for your businesses' interior paint. Would you want to do business with a company that has peeling paint or unsightly crown molding? At Shield's Painting, our goal is to create a beautiful environment that your customers and employees will love inside and out. When you work with our business painters, you can rest easy knowing we treat your business like it were our own. We always clean up after ourselves and know that operations cannot come to a halt just because we're painting. As such, we'll work with your busy schedule to ensure the job gets done right the first time without disrupting your day-to-day commitments.
With decades of commercial painting experience, we know the demands of a commercial painting project necessitate a disciplined and focused approach from the start. Our team of business painters is committed to delivering quality, on-time results on every project, every time - no excuses

We offer professional business painting services to a variety of building types, including:

01
Industrial Painting
A high level of care and finesse are required to effectively paint an industrial property. At Shields Painting, we know that industrial paint jobs involve much more than aesthetics. That's why our industrial services are customized to your specifications, using industrial-grade materials that stand up to heavy-duty operations.
02
Retail Store Painting
Our commercial painters apply effective, yet appealing interior and exterior paint that stand up to the daily rigors of busy retail environments.


03
Small Business Painting
Do you own a restaurant franchise? Have a small "mom and pop" location that needs a fresh coat of paint? Shields Painting has the resources and reliability to efficiently get the job done the first time. That way, you can focus on serving your customers, not having your business repainted.
04
Healthcare Location Painting
From walk-in clinics to long-term care facilities, Shields Painting is sensitive to your patients' needs. We know you must protect your patient's privacy while maintaining productivity. Our approach to healthcare location painting centers around your schedule to avoid disruptions in care.


05
Apartment Complex Painting
Erase signs of wear and make your apartment complex or multi-family building a more desirable place to live with a stunning, professional paint job.
Florida's Most Trusted Painting Contractor
Shields Painting has been in the business since 1968. In a world where so much has changed, we are proud to uphold the ideals that make us successful: hard, honest work, getting the job done right, and excellent customer service. Providing you with trustworthy, quality work will always take priority over rushing through a project to serve the next customer. That is just not the way we choose to do business.
As professionals dedicated to perfection, we strive to provide a unique painting experience for every customer - one that focuses on their needs and desires instead of our own. Whether you need residential painting for your home or commercial painting for your business, we encourage you to reach out today to speak with our customer service team. Whether you have big ideas about a new paint project or need our expertise and guidance, we look forward to hearing from you soon.

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Latest News in Anthony, FL
Florida QB Anthony Richardson garners first-round attention from Mel Kiper
ByRaymond Lucas Jr.https://247sports.com/Article/Florida-QB-Anthony-Richardson-garners-first-round-attention-from-Mel-Kiper-187104932/
As quickly as the 2022 NFL Draft came to an end, attention shifted towards the eventual 2023 wave of newcomers. Next year’s class is expected to be deep at quarterback with names like Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud garnering the most attention. But don’t be surprised if Anthony Richardson is a trendy name once next season concludes.The way ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. sees things, Richardson should be in the conversati...
As quickly as the 2022 NFL Draft came to an end, attention shifted towards the eventual 2023 wave of newcomers. Next year’s class is expected to be deep at quarterback with names like Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud garnering the most attention. But don’t be surprised if Anthony Richardson is a trendy name once next season concludes.
The way ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. sees things, Richardson should be in the conversation for a top-10 pick, or even higher, revealed Monday in a discussion about potential No. 1 overall picks in the 2023 NFL Draft.
"Anthony Richardson from Florida is a talented kid,” Kiper said on The Adam Schefter Podcast. “Wow, is he talented. If he can become consistent throwing the football, you’re going to be talking a lot about Anthony Richardson as well."
Richardson has the keys to the Gators’ offense this season after the team struggled in 2021 under Emory Jones who since departed for the transfer portal. Richardson was effective when healthy but also struggled with turnovers. He played in seven games, and went 38-64 on the year for 529 yards, six touchdowns but five interceptions. His potential is so high due to his ability to make plays with his legs, he picked up 401 yards on 51 carries while scoring three times. Now under Billy Napier’s offense, Richardson is tasked with making large strides in a new system.
"Anthony’s a production of a lot of hard work," Napier said after the spring game. "I can’t say enough about his approach, it’s been first class. When I think about a quarterback, I think about a person who represents everything the organization is about. Certainly at the highest level of football, the quarterback I the face of your origination. They set the greatest example. Their work ethic, their attention to detail, their self-discipline in their approach. He’s product of his work. He’s learned a new system. He commented well and the ball went where it was supposed to go. The players around him played well. The pocket was clean."
Before Napier’s comments, Richardson had tossed out three scores during the spring game which caused Steve Spurrier to rave about the quarterback’s ability. Spurrier knows a thing or two about being an elite signal-caller considering the Gators’ legend won the Heisman Trophy back in 1966. That year, he threw 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions in an ere of college football that was drastically different than today.
“Tell you what ... I think we all know Anthony Richardson is a talented player. And he can be big time for us,” Spurrier said during the SEC Network’s broadcast of the game. “Hopefully he can stay very healthy this year. He can throw the ball, he can run. Hopefully we will use him -- occasionally run him not dominantly, because he’s an excellent passer. He’s a natural quarterback.”
Coming out of Gainesville (Fla.) Eastside, Richardson was a four-star in the 247Sports Composite. He ranked No. 204 in the nation, No. 9 dual-threat quarterback and No. 30 in the state of Florida.
How Anthony Richardson gives Florida’s offense many dangerous options
SethVarnadorehttps://www.alligatorarmy.com/2022/4/21/23035128/anthony-richardson-florida-gators-offense-options-design-billy-napier
It may have happened a couple of days sooner than originally anticipated, but we finally got an extended look at the next era of Florida football in the form of last Thursday’s spring game.New Florida head coach Billy Napier has brought a ton of excitement — and about four dozen new staff members — with him to Gainesville. While there are always a lot of things for new coaches to accomplish off the field, one of the most important questions that can be answered on the field is simple: “Do we have a starting qua...
It may have happened a couple of days sooner than originally anticipated, but we finally got an extended look at the next era of Florida football in the form of last Thursday’s spring game.
New Florida head coach Billy Napier has brought a ton of excitement — and about four dozen new staff members — with him to Gainesville. While there are always a lot of things for new coaches to accomplish off the field, one of the most important questions that can be answered on the field is simple: “Do we have a starting quarterback?” After Thursday night, the answer to that question seems to be an emphatic “YES!” for Florida.
The story of the spring game was, obviously, the performance of Anthony Richardson. He looked extremely comfortable in Billy Napier’s offense and showed no ill signs from his offseason surgery. There have been some questions about Napier taking on the roles of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach along with his head coaching responsibilities, but his offensive scheme seems to fit Richardson to a tee.
Speaking of Napier’s offense, let’s take a closer look at how the Gators lined up and what type of plays they called during the spring game.
Richardson | 11 | 33 | 231 | 7.00 | 14 | 42.42% | 54 | 3.86 | 19 | 57.6% | 177 | 9.32 |
Richardson | 12 | 13 | 57 | 4.38 | 7 | 53.85% | 27 | 3.86 | 6 | 46.2% | 30 | 5.00 |
Richardson | Total | 46 | 288 | 6.26 | 21 | 46% | 81 | 3.86 | 25 | 54.0% | 207 | 8.28 |
Miller | 11 | 29 | 104 | 3.59 | 11 | 37.93% | 26 | 2.36 | 18 | 62.1% | 78 | 4.33 |
Miller | 12 | 12 | 79 | 6.58 | 7 | 58.33% | 36 | 5.14 | 5 | 41.7% | 43 | 8.60 |
Miller | Total | 41 | 183 | 4.46 | 18 | 44% | 62 | 3.44 | 23 | 56.0% | 121 | 5.26 |
Total | Combined | 87 | 471 | 5.41 | 39 | 44.83% | 143 | 3.67 | 48 | 55.2% | 328 | 6.83 |
Florida had something of an adventurous spring at the tight end position. New tight ends coach William Peagler had his work cut out for him, with injuries reducing his room to one scholarship player at one point. The lack of tight ends was especially concerning when you you think about Napier’s preferred personnel groupings. Napier uses at least one tight end on nearly every play, and often you will see two tight ends sharing the field. Peagler said that they are typically at about a 60/40 split between 11 and 12 personnel.
Luckily, Florida found some capable bodies to move over to tight end and we were able to get a good look at the new offense.
I charted every series with Richardson and Jack Miller at quarterback, as they seem to be the furthest along in the new offense. They were also the most likely to play with other “first team” level players. (Carlos Del Rio-Wilson choosing to transfer is probably a consequence of both of these factors.) In any case, I thought their reps would give us the best sense of the offense.
When looking back on the spring game, both teams operated similarly in terms of play-calling. Each team was primarily in 11 (1 back 1 tight end) personnel. Out of the 87 plays I tracked featuring Richardson or Miller at QB, Florida was in 11 personnel on a little more than 71 percent of those plays. The Gators lined up in 12 (1 back 2 tight ends) personnel on just under 29 percent of their plays. It’s not quite the 60/40 split that Peagler mentioned, but it’s a far cry from last season: In 2021, Florida lined up in 11 personnel on 88.17% of the time and only lined up in 12 personnel on 6.64% of play calls.
Also a change from last year was the run-pass split. Last season, Florida ran the ball 55 percent of the time and threw on 45 percent of playcalls. Based on Napier’s previous offenses, many expected the run/pass split to be similar. But in its spring game, Florida threw the ball more than I anticipated — and, actually, the Gators were the inverse of last season’s team in this regard.
Florida once again had a 55/45 split, but this time it was in favor of the pass. In 11 personnel, that split was even higher, with nearly 60 percent of the plays being passes. I’d envision this percentage normalizing more towards the running game in the fall, but it was still interesting to see Napier play against type for one evening.
One reason for the increased passing numbers was the play of the quarterbacks. Of particular interest was their decision making. There were probably five to 10 plays where there was a called run with a throw option attached. Some were pre-snap reads where a single receiver had an option route attached to a called run play; others were RPOs where the quarterback made the run pass decision after the ball had been snapped.
From what we saw on Thursday, this offense gives the quarterback a lot of options. The aforementioned throw options attached to run plays were just one part. There were also multiple options on several screen plays with the quarterback picking which side of the field he should go to with the ball.
For some, too many options can be overwhelming. For others, it can consistently give them answers for what the defense is showing. I thought the best thing about the play of Anthony Richardson was his decisiveness. He knew where he wanted to go with the ball often before the snap and got the ball out of his hands quickly.
I heard Coach Napier say in an offseason clinic that he should be able to get his play call and the defensive play call and know exactly where the ball should go before the play even happens. For a lot of the night, Richardson was there.
He wasn’t perfect, though. There was one particular play that nearly gave me a Nakobe Dean flashback. For much more on that play, along with a lot of other good ones for Richardson and Jack Miller, watch the video below.
Andre Anthony's Approach: 'Do the Most'
Scott Smithhttps://www.buccaneers.com/news/bucs-outside-linebacker-andre-anthony-do-the-most-rookie-mini-camp
As he nears the end of his recovery from a torn ACL, rookie OLB Andre Anthony is ready to apply some lessons he learned while essentially serving as a sideline coach for young LSU defenders most of last fallAndre Anthony's long LSU playing career came to an abrupt end last September, as he tore an ACL on a non-contact play against Central Michigan. He had first arrived in Baton Rouge in 2016, taking a redshirt year and then missing the next season thanks to a different knee injury. Anthony then played four more years for LSU, though...
As he nears the end of his recovery from a torn ACL, rookie OLB Andre Anthony is ready to apply some lessons he learned while essentially serving as a sideline coach for young LSU defenders most of last fall
Andre Anthony's long LSU playing career came to an abrupt end last September, as he tore an ACL on a non-contact play against Central Michigan. He had first arrived in Baton Rouge in 2016, taking a redshirt year and then missing the next season thanks to a different knee injury. Anthony then played four more years for LSU, though the last one as a grad student was only three games long to his season-ending mishap.
Now Anthony is back on the football field just a few days shy of eight months after his injury against the Chippewas, as he's taking part in a rookie mini-camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers selected him in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft after not addressing the outside linebacker position in the first six rounds. Anthony is not yet fully recovered – he expects to be full-go by the start of training camp – but he is taking part in drills and he has a strategy for making a strong first impression while not yet physically at his peak.
"Do the most," said Anthony of his approach to this stage of his transition from college to the pros. "Do what you can do, and what you can do go 100 percent at it, regardless of the situation of where you got picked. Do what you can. And my situation, coming in hurt, just do what you can, and when you can do something go hard at it so they can see, 'Okay, he's trying and he's steady developing.' Showing that you know the playbook so when it's time to get out there [they say], 'Okay, we can trust that he knows what he's doing.' So it's not just going out there and seeing what you can do physically."
Anthony's 2017 experience with a similar injury helped him get through his current recovery process, both mentally and physically. It was a tough blow to absorb, though. After leading the Tigers with 5.5 sacks as a senior in 2020, he had gotten off to a blazing start in what should have been a showcase season for NFL scouts. Anthony was among national leaders in sacks (3.5) and tackles for loss (4.0) before he went down shortly before halftime of LSU's third game of the year. Earlier in that game, he had picked up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown.
"Oh yeah, it was [emotional], just because it's your senior year, obviously, and you started off so great," said Anthony. "Coming into yourself and becoming a team leader, and a lot of the stuff that we went through years before, it was just a lot of emotions. But like I said, it's something I've been through [before]. I had an injury my freshman year so I kind of knew what to expect."
That means Anthony, who is nearing the end of his physical recovery, knows that the next big hurdle will be mental. He has to trust that his knee is ready to let him do all of the things he used to do on the football field, at the same high level.
"That's the process that I'm going through right now," said Anthony. "Going out there and doing drills and team [drills] and stuff like that, just knowing like, 'You're alright.' Just trying to push it in your head that you're good, it's healed. You've just got to get back used to moving and trusting that it's going to be fine."
The stakes are fairly high for Anthony. The Buccaneers could definitely use a little more depth at edge rusher, but seventh-round picks are never a guarantee to make the 53-man roster. He could have used the rest of his senior season to continue honing his game and in recent months he could have been focusing on adding to his arsenal of pass-rush moves rather than working to get his knee back in order. But Anthony did find another way to make use of the rest of his final year at LSU, even if he didn't get back on the field after Week Three.
Essentially, Anthony became something of a coach to LSU's younger defenders, and that in turn helped him learn more about his own game. He would stand next to his young teammates on the sideline and point out things that were happening that they didn't necessarily understand yet.
"I guess me coaching kind of helped me as far as the mental aspect of the game, to let them know what I saw," Anthony recalled. "'Maybe this will work, maybe that will work.' Same thing like coming here. You see some of the older guys that you've seen on TV, seeing what they see, just learning from each other. The main thing is, they say the best way to learn is to coach. Me coaching up them, I learned a lot about myself and some other stuff that I could get better at. It was good."
One of the main lessons Anthony took away from that period in his life was to be relentless and creative on the field.
"Mine is staying active," said Anthony of what he will be focusing on when he gets back to full speed. "Just not having one move in my head and if that doesn't work. Just kind of being active, being violent. If that move doesn't work, go to another one. Just keep going, because you never know when something's going to work and you can get there."
Marc Anthony Is Engaged to Former Miss Universe Contestant Nadia Ferreira
Linda Marxhttps://people.com/music/marc-anthony-engaged-to-nadia-ferreira/
The 53-year-old musician and 23-year-old former Miss Universe contestant announced their engagement on Thursday during a party at Sexy Fish restaurant in Miami, Florida, and Ferreira took to her Instagram story to share a photo of her large diamond ring.According to Ferreira's Instagram, the pair spent the day in Miami with friends leading up to the party, dined and partied on a boat, and toasted with champagne. The Sexy Fish party was reportedly held as a celebr...
The 53-year-old musician and 23-year-old former Miss Universe contestant announced their engagement on Thursday during a party at Sexy Fish restaurant in Miami, Florida, and Ferreira took to her Instagram story to share a photo of her large diamond ring.
According to Ferreira's Instagram, the pair spent the day in Miami with friends leading up to the party, dined and partied on a boat, and toasted with champagne. The Sexy Fish party was reportedly held as a celebration of the model's 23rd birthday, which was May 10.
"They dined on a lavish dinner of sushi, oysters and caviar and appeared to be in an extremely celebratory mood, hugging and kissing throughout the night at an opulent table surrounded by friends," a source tells PEOPLE.
"But the surprise came at the end of the dinner, when Nadia, wearing a skin-tight white dress, posted a picture on her IG showcasing a stunning diamond engagement ring with the caption 'Engagement Partyyy' with a ring emoji," continues the source.
Anthony and Ferreira sparked romance rumors following an outing in Mexico City earlier this year, and they confirmed their relationship via Instagram with a selfie taken on an airplane in March. "Que Dios les multiplique todo lo que ustedes nos desean," the "I Need to Know" singer wrote in the post's caption, which roughly translates to, "May God multiply all that you wish us."
Prior to his relationship with Ferreira, Anthony had been married three times. He tied the knot with former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres in 2000, and the pair welcomed two sons, Cristian and Ryan, before splitting in 2004. The same year, Anthony began dating Jennifer Lopez, and the pair married in July 2004 before having twins, Max and Emme. They announced their split in 2011, and the divorce became final in 2014, but the exes remain cordial co-parents to this day.
Anthony then married model Shannon De Lima in November 2014. The pair separated two years later before announcing their divorce in December 2016 and finalizing the split in February 2017. Before announcing his relationship with Ferreira, he was most recently publicly linked to Madu Nicola, with whom he shared a kiss on the 2021 Billboard Latin Music Awards red carpet.
Gators QB Anthony Richardson Projected to be Top-10 Pick in 2023
Demetrius Harveyhttps://www.si.com/college/florida/football/florida-gators-anthony-richardson-projected-top-10-2023-nfl-draft
Photo: Anthony Richardson; Credit: Alex ShepherdNow that the 2022 NFL Draft has come and gone, ESPN's Todd McShay has published his first way-too-early mock draft for next year's 2023 NFL Draft, which includes Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson.This year, Flori...
Photo: Anthony Richardson; Credit: Alex Shepherd
Now that the 2022 NFL Draft has come and gone, ESPN's Todd McShay has published his first way-too-early mock draft for next year's 2023 NFL Draft, which includes Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson.
This year, Florida sent three players to the pros via the 2022 NFL Draft, including first-round selection (pick No. 23 overall) cornerback Kaiir Elam, a third-round selection (pick No. 95) in defensive lineman Zachary Carter and a fourth-round selection (pick No. 107) in running back Dameon Pierce.
Several other players were also signed to NFL rosters in undrafted free agency shortly following the draft. Though it was a "down" year for Florida in terms of sending players to the NFL, next year's class appears to be much deeper.
Richardson, 6-foot-4, 237 pounds is entering his redshirt sophomore season at Florida and is expected to be the team's next starting QB, taking over for Emory Jones who recently transferred to Arizona State after one year as the team's starter.
McShay projects Richarson to be selected within the top 10 next year, pick No. 6 to the Carolina Panthers, who spent a third-round pick this year on former Ole Miss QB Matt Corral. The team also rosters former first-round pick QB Sam Darnold, but he isn't expected to be on the roster st this time next year.
Here is what McShay had to say about the selection:
The Panthers, however, should start scouting the 2023 signal-callers. I'm not so sure they view Matt Corral as a long-term option, and Sam Darnold will be off the books after this season. Plus, Carolina could have a new regime in place, especially if it's picking this early again. Now, Richardson is a huge projection -- the 6-foot-4, 236-pound passer played in just eight games and started once last year -- and has some turnover issues. But he's extremely talented and poised for a breakout season in his first as a full-time starter.
Enter Richardson, who is one of the most physically dominant QBs in the SEC and all of college football, built similarly to former Panthers QB Cam Newton, who spent time at Florida before eventually making his way to Auburn and subsequently becoming the No. 1 overall selection by Carolina in 2011.
Last season, Richardson showed off some of the traits one would want to see in a dominant player at the position, especially on the ground. In seven games, Richardson posted 529 passing yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions, also able to rack up 401 yards on just 51 attempts on the ground along with three TDs.
This, obviously, is a pure projection from McShay as Richardson hasn't shown enough on film for teams to make that selection today. Richardson was also the third QB selection in McShay's mock, behind Alabama QB Bryce Young (No. 2 overall) and Ohio State QB CJ Stroud (No. 1 overall).
But, with what Richardson has shown over the years on the practice field and at moments in games, it wouldn't be unreasonable to see him put on a show this season in Gainesville, and immediately boost his draft stock.
After this season, Richardson would still have two more years of eligibility, but if he does what the is capable of, especially given the talent level on offense, it wouldn't be surprising to see him declare early, making himself a lot of money in the process.
Stay tuned to AllGators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @SI_AllGators on Twitter and Florida Gators on Sports Illustrated on Facebook.
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