Raiders Need More from Decamerion Richardson in Year 2

The Las Vegas Raiders drafted cornerback Decamerion Richardson in the fourth round of last year's NFL Draft, as they hoped he would eventually grow into a dependable corner for them down the road. He joined the Raiders after a productive college career in the Southeastern Conference.

Richardson has the physical attributes desired in a cornerback. He has the height, wingspan, and natural covering ability to succeed. At the combine, he ran a 4.34 40-yard dash.

However, his two most pressing issues are that he plays cornerback, and the Raiders' defensive backfield is not necessarily overflowing with the best talent. Cornerback is one of the most challenging positions for a young player to succeed immediately.

Jakorian Bennett entered the league as a better cornerback than Richardson. Although Bennett had a successful second season in the league before going down with an injury, he even struggled during his rookie season.

Richardson played one of the most difficult positions for a rookie and was in a severely depleted defensive backfield, making life hard for him during his rookie season. While many things were out of his control that contributed to his struggles, most of it fell on him.

During his rookie season, Richardson was forced to play much more than anyone expected him to, due to the rash of injuries the Raiders suffered. Richardson appeared in 12 games, starting in seven.

Quarterbacks averaged nearly a 120 passer rating when targeting Richardson. They also averaged over 15 yards per completion when targeting him. Opposing teams routinely targeted Richardson, making it no secret that they were going after him, and still succeeded easily.

Last season, Richardson played in 70 percent of the team's defensive snaps, giving him valuable playing time during a lost season. The Raiders hope all that playing time pays off by shortening Richardson's learning curve.

The second-year cornerback's talent was evident entering the league, but he took more than a few lumps on the chin last season. There is no shame in a rookie cornerback struggling after unexpectedly being thrown in as a starter amid a depleted secondary.

Not to mention, the Raiders' defense was often left out to dry by the Raiders' offense last season. This left a banged-up Raiders defense on the field way longer than they would have liked, leaving Richardson and others exposed for extended periods.

There were plenty of reasons for Richardson's struggles last season. However, excuses do not get very far in the National Football League.

The Raiders need more from Richardson, and their new front office may not be patient in waiting for him to figure things out.

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