The Colts are one of several teams hosting Mississippi State cornerback Decamerion Richardson on an official pre-draft visit, according to Adam Schefter.
By the end of the upcoming week, Richardson will have met with 10 teams, including the Broncos, Jaguars, Chargers, Browns, Eagles, 49ers, and Texans.
Richardson measures in at over 6-2 and weighs 188 pounds. He posted one of the better Relative Athletic Scores at the cornerback position this year, scoring 9.77, which included an impressive 4.34-second 40-yard dash.
Richardson played 1,770 career snaps at Mississippi State, the bulk of which came over the last two seasons, primarily lined up on the boundary. He would also play 354 career special teams snaps across three different phases.
Richardson saw his share of targets during that two year span, thrown at 124 times. He allowed a completion rate of 65.5 percent and from 2022 to 2023, he went from allowing 11.9 yards per catch to just 9.2. He totaled three pass breakups and no interceptions.
Throughout his career, Richardson has been a willing tackler, missing only nine of his 173 career attempts. This, of course, helped him in the run game. Richardson ranked 12th among all cornerbacks in PFF grade this past season.
For a closer look at Richardson’s game, here is what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft report:
“Two-year starting cornerback with outstanding physical features but below-average coverage features. He’s leggy with below-average lateral transitions and change of direction in space. Richardson doesn’t play with enough anticipation or short-area burst to make plays on the ball but does have a big make-up gear in a straight line. He’s OK as a tackler but should get better with a greater focus in that department. Richardson’s size and top-end speed will immediately garner attention, but he doesn’t appear to have the skill set to play safety and will be limited by a narrow scheme fit.”
The Colts have an obvious need at the cornerback position that should be addressed in this draft. This is a secondary in 2023 that allowed too many big plays and ranked in the bottom-third in both yards per attempt allowed and pass breakups.
Richardson may not have an immediate impact on the Colts’ cornerback position, as refinement is needed. However, Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network is very high on the potential Richardson possesses, saying that he has “impact starter potential,” in part because of his size and speed combination.