2014 NFL Draft: Pittsburgh Steelers select CB Shaquille Richardson in 5th Round
By Matt Shetler
Dec. 15, 2012; Albuquerque, NM, USA; Arizona Wildcats cornerback Shaquille Richardson (5) celebrates with teammates following the game against the Nevada Wolf Pack in the 2012 New Mexico Bowl at University Stadium. Arizona defeated Nevada 49-48. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Like mostly every other round in the Kevin Colbert-Mike Tomlin era, the fifth round has been horrific to the Pittsburgh Steelers
Would they strike out again in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft?
Needless to say it has been an interesting three days for Colbert and the Steelers, but after not addressing pressing needs during the first two days of the draft, they may have found a steal with their first pick on Saturday when they selected Clemson wide receiver Martavis Bryant in the fourth round.
With a need at cornerback still evident, Colbert addressed that need with Arizona corner Shaquille Richardson with the No. 157 overall pick.
Richardson is 6’0”, 194 pounds and is quick and agile and is aggressive jumping routes.
He had an outstanding pro day workout, posting a 4.43-second 40, 38 1/2-inch vertical jump and 6.95-second three-cone drill time, indicating good speed, agility and explosion.
The good news is that he has length, speed and some ball skills
The bad news is that he is lean, viewed as a poor tackler with poor fundamentals, lacks strength and often is said to give a lackluster effort.
In addition to being very lean, Richardson is often late to read plays or support the run and was benched in 2012 for too many lapses in coverage.
Richardson made 37 collegiate starts where he had 189 career tackles to go along with 10 interceptions.
Here’s a look at some film.
He also comes with some baggage.
Richardson was dismissed from the UCLA team in 2010 after being arrested for allegedly stealing a purse. Those charges were eventually dropped. He was also ejected and subsequently suspended in 2011 for a fight against UCLA.
The Steelers have had next to no success drafting in the fifth round since Tomlin arrived in 2007, missing on picks such as: Cameron Stephenson (2007), Dennis Dixon (2008), Joe Burnett (2009), Frank Summers (2009), Chris Scott (2010), Stevenson Sylvester (2010), Crezdon Butler (2010), Chris Carter (2011), Chris Rainey (2012) and Terry Hawthorne (2013).
A couple of those guys have stuck around but needless to say none of the fifth round selections since Tomlin has arrived has made an NFL impact.
The Steelers needed to improve and add depth at the cornerback spot in this draft. I don’t know if Richardson exactly fills that bill as perhaps the Steelers waited too long to target the position.
Will Richardson add to Tomlin’s and Colbert’s fifth-round failures or will they finally have hit a home run with a fifth-round pick?
Only time will tell.
The Steelers will be back on the clock again in the fifth round with pick No. 173 overall.