NFL Draft 2015: Quick Analysis Of The Patriots Jordan Richards Pick
By Cyrus Geller
The New England Patriots surprised us all once again with their second round pick, as they selected safety Jordan Richards out of Stanford. Richards was a projected 6th or 7th round pick by NFL.com, and I’ll be honest: I had no idea who he was when I heard the pick.
After some brief research, it sounds like Richards is the prototypical Belichick player. He is smart, tough, loves the game, and is a great team leader. He isn’t an athletic freak, and he doesn’t have elite ball skills, but everyone keeps raving about his intelligence, which is likely why Belichick wanted him so badly.
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I am not going to bash the pick of Richards too much, I just hate where they took him. If the Patriots really wanted him, they could have got him at least two or three rounds later. The Pats have a huge hole on the interior of their offensive line, and A.J. Cann, arguably the second best guard prospect in the draft, was available at pick 64. Obviously the Patriots didn’t like Cann, because I see no other reason why Belichick and company would have pass on him.
Looking at New England’s depth chart, Devin McCourty is obviously at the top, with Patrick Chung as the strong safety right now. I think Richards fits more of the Chung role, as he is more physical than D-Mac, and likes playing down in the box. That kind of player could allow the Pats to do some creative things in their dime defense, especially if this Richards kid can cover tight ends effectively.
With that said, no matter how you cut it, I don’t like this pick for the Pats. If they had picked Richards in the fifth round, I’d be completely fine with it. But with a big offensive line problem, and a perfect fit just waiting to be selected at slot 64, I wish New England had gone with a big guy in the trenches.
The Patriots have two picks remaining in the third round. Here’s to hoping they address the offensive line.