Raiders Select CB Decamerion Richardson With No. 112 Pick in 2024 NFL Draft

The Las Vegas Raiders have selected former Mississippi State CB Decamerion Richardson with the 112th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Sep 10, 2022; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs cornerback Decamerion Richardson (3) / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

With their fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders have selected cornerback Decamerion Richardson out of Mississippi State.

The Raiders needed to start addressing their defensive needs on Saturday, and they have started to do so. Richardson is one of the most athletic and top-tackling cornerbacks in this year's draft class.

Richardson led all SEC cornerbacks in tackles in each of the last two seasons, having notched 79 in 2023 and 85 in 2022.

The 6-foot-2, 188-pound prospect finished his 2023 campaign with a tackle for loss, a sack and a team-leading seven pass breakups while starting all 12 games.

Richardson played 45 games for the Bulldogs, recording 177 tackles, two for losses, a sack, 10 passes defensed, a fumble recovery and a touchdown in his four collegiate seasons.

Pro Football Focus gave Richardson a 90.3 tackle grade for his 2023 season, which led all SEC cornerbacks and ranked third among all cornerbacks in the nation. He also received an overall grade of 86.4.

Richardson's 40-yard-dash time of 4.34 seconds at this year's NFL Combine was the seventh-fastest among all prospects and third-fastest among cornerbacks. He also recorded a 1.48-second 10-yard-split, a 35-inch vertical jump and a 10-feet-8-inch vertical jump.

NFL Next Gen Stats gave Richardson an athleticism score of 88, the best among all cornerback prospects. He also received a production score of 59 and a total score of 71.

Here is NFL analyst Lance Zierlein's evalutation of Richardson:

"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."

Richardson joins an already young cornerback room that is on the rise. He gives the Raiders depth in the secondary and could be an asset on special teams.

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