Getty Davius Richard has declared for the NFL draft.
The Philadelphia Eagles recently met with an intriguing young prospect at the quarterback position.
According to Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report and The Draft Network, the Eagles were one of several teams to meet with North Carolina Central quarterback Davius Richard.
“NC Central QB Davius Richard has been a popular name so far in the predraft process,” Fowler wrote on X. “He’s met with the Eagles, Falcons, Bears, Cardinals, Bengals, Bucs, Jets and Lions, among others, per source.”
Richard has spent four years as a starter for NCCU, whose team name, coincidentally, is also the Eagles. Since drafting QB Jalen Hurts in the second round in 2020, the Eagles have selected just one QB in the NFL draft: Tanner McKee, in Round 6 in 2023.
What Would Philadelphia Eagles Be Getting if They Drafted QB Davius Richard?
TEAM ABOVE SELF: @NCCU_Football quarterback Davius Richard is a team-focused leader…
“No matter how we win, if I throw for 400 yards or if I throw for 12 yards, as long as we win, that’s the most important thing to me.”
#EaglePride | #EagleEra @MEACSports
At 6’3″ and 220 pounds, Richard has size to go with mobility for days. A four-year starter at NC Central, he is an excellent leader with a team-first mentality. The ultimate dual-treat, Richard threw for just under 9,000 yards, 73 TDs and 29 interceptions over his four seasons at NCCU, also rushing for 2,026 yards and 44 TDs (4.9 yards per carry).
Richard is set to appear in the HBCU Legacy Bowl on February 24, which is an all-star game highlighting the best players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities set to enter the NFL draft. He’ll have lots of eyes on him then and every other time he showcases his skills leading up to the draft.
Former NFL executive Scott Pioli, who won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, believes Richard is one of the more underrated players at QB heading into the 2024 draft.
“Richard has the tools, talent and production (with his arm and legs) to be an intriguing quarterback prospect,” Pioli wrote on February 19, adding: “He’s one of the most electric dual-threat talents in the country, in my opinion.”
When Was the Last Time a QB from an HBCU Was Selected in the NFL Draft?
If Philly or any other team does elect to draft Richard, it would be the first time in 18 years that has happened. There hasn’t been an HBCU quarterback selected in the draft since the Minnesota Vikings selected Tarvaris Jackson out of Alabama State in the the second round back in 2006.
“They all know I can move around pretty well, so right now I’m trying to emphasize the passing aspect of my game,” Richard said at the NFL HBCU Combine on February 19, via the Charlotte Observer.
“So throughout the week of practice, just putting good days forth each day. Stacking days, showing I can put the ball wherever on the field – with some touch. One ball, two ball, three ball. I can go through my reads, make the correct reads – even if that’s checking it down to a running back. Just showing them what an NFL quarterback looks like and that I can look like that.”
The Eagles are surely going to do their homework on several young QBs as the draft approaches, but if they wind up selecting another QB this year, Richard is one of the more intriguing prospects the team could get in the later rounds.