In the NFL draft the following week, the New England Patriots may select a wide receiver, offensive tackle, and quarterback with their first three picks, in whatever order.
However, the Patriots will still have five draft picks available even after they take care of those most pressing issues.
Which spot in the middle to late rounds might the Patriots target? Why not use a cornerback? It doesn’t seem like the Patriots should prioritize drafting a cornerback. Marcus Jones and Christian Gonzalez’s returns have them well-stocked at the position. Nevertheless, this hasn’t stopped New England from investigating prospects who might offer depth in the secondary.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that cornerback Decamerion Richardson, a graduate of Mississippi State, will visit Foxboro on Monday, giving the Patriots a better look at him. Monday at One Patriot Place will not only feature Richardson as a prospect; one of the top quarterbacks in the draft is anticipated to visit New England as well.
Additionally, by the end of the week, Richardson will have visited with the following teams: the Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, and Houston Texans.
During his tenure at Mississippi State, Richardson started 26 games. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound cornerback demonstrated his agility and ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at the combine. Despite having seven passes defended this past season, Richardson has never had an interception with the Bulldogs. NFL analyst Lance Zierlein believes that Richardson’s skill set is clearly limited.
Zierlein wrote, “cornerback with exceptional physical attributes but subpar coverage qualities.” He moves lanky and exhibits below-average lateral transitions and spatial direction changes. Richardson has a large make-up gear in a straight line, but he lacks the anticipation and short-area burst to create plays with the ball. He could do better as a tackler if he put more effort into that area.
Richardson will draw attention right away because of his stature and top end speed, but his narrow scheme fit and lack of skill set make him an unsuitable safety option. Given that the 23-year-old appeared to be a strength in that area, it is perplexing that Zierlein thinks Richardson is merely a mediocre tackler. In tackles, he topped all SEC corners.
