Raiders Rookie Cornerback Gaining Valuable Experience

The Las Vegas Raiders drafted Decamerion Richardson in the fourth round of the NFL Draft in the hopes of solidifying their cornerback room. He has responded well after being thrown to the fire in his rookie season.

Nov 17, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (28) runs with the football against Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Decamerion Richardson (25) during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders drafted Decamerion Richardson in the fourth round of the NFL Draft in the hopes of solidifying their cornerback room. Richardson was a two-year starter in the best conference in college football, proving himself weekly against the best competition college football had to offer. 

Injuries have ravaged the Raiders’ defensive backfield, especially at the cornerback position. While the Raiders hope to one day pair Richardson with Jakorian Bennett, Jack Jones, and Nate Hobbs, injuries to the trio of cornerbacks have opened the door for Richardson to play more on Sundays.

While he has had a few minor struggles, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce credited the rookie cornerback with a productive first few games. Richardson has responded well after being thrown to the fire in his rookie season.

"Short-term memory,” Pierce said. “You play corner in this league; they are going to catch the ball. I tell Jack [Jones] that all the time. Jack thinks nobody's going to catch the ball on him. And Jack had a really good game last week, but they caught a touchdown. And D-Cam [Decamerion Richardson], look, they caught some balls on you. But one thing about it, he never flinched. He didn't blink, and we weren't going to bring him out.”

Pierce noted that experience is the best teacher, and the more he plays, the more Richardson will clean up the rookie mistakes he has displayed so far. 

“He's got to go out there, and he's got to learn,” Pierce said. “He's out there with the big boys, and [Courtland] Sutton is a really good player. And they've got some good players this week. But our players will be pretty damn good, too. D-Cam is going to be a good corner, and he has the mentality, he has the speed, he has the mindset of what we want our Raider corners to look like. The production will take place over time."

"To me, it's not so much just him but how his teammates responded. You saw Isaiah Pola-Mao from our sideline really get after him. Like, man, 'Hell of a job, great job.' It wasn't like, 'Oh man, yeah, finally.' They're like, 'Yeah, yeah, that's what you're doing. That's what we're talking about.' That's what you want to see, man. We're encouraging one another. We're not discouraged by what's going on. Yeah, we're frustrated as hell, but man, listen, we're out there, those young boys, and they are battling, and we'll take that all day."

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