Pros and cons of Las Vegas Raiders picking Mississippi State football's Decamerion Richardson in 2024 NFL Draft
Mississippi State football cornerback Decamerion Richardson was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the 112th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday. He's the third MSU cornerback taken since 2022, joining Martin Emerson and Emmanuel Forbes.
Here's what Richardson brings to the Raiders, based on our own observations from his tenure at Mississippi State:
What Decamerion Richardson brings to Raiders in 2024 NFL Draft
When it came to tackling, no defensive back in the SEC was better than Richardson. He ranked 15th in the conference with 79 tackles, which led all defensive backs.
Richardson didn't intercept a pass during his MSU career, but he impressed at the NFL Scouting Combine. He earned the best athleticism score among corners, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. He ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash.
Decamerion Richardson's highlights, strengths, weaknesses at Mississippi State football
Richardson improved his worth in each of his four seasons at MSU. He appeared in seven games as a freshman in 2020 before playing in 13 games the following season. However, he was behind Emerson and Forbes during the 2021 campaign.
In 2022, he finally emerged as a starter alongside Forbes before serving as the team's top corner last season. He played under former MSU assistant and NFL defensive back Darcel McBath.
While he was a strong tackler at MSU, he finished with no interceptions or forced fumbles.
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Decamerion Richardson 2023 stats at Mississippi State football
12 games
79 tackles
7 pass deflections
0 interceptions
Decamerion Richardson potential in NFL
McBath has proven he can develop corners into quality NFL players. Richardson could add to that list. His willingness to deliver a big hit could make him a headache for opposing receivers.
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Raiders take Decamerion Richardson in 2024 NFL Draft: Pros, cons of pick
