Jordan Richards NFL Draft 2015: Scouting Report, Grade for Patriots Rookie

STRENGTHS

An in-the-box safety with plus skills against the run, Jordan Richards will intrigue teams looking for an enforcer in the secondary. Richards was a three-year starter at Stanford and consistently made plays against the run. He's a strong tackler with proper form and the power to back it up. He has a filled-out frame (5'11", 211 lbs) with impressive arm length and the aggressive nature to use it well. He attacks the ball when coming downhill to take on running backs and isn't afraid to get physical with tight ends in coverage.

WEAKNESSES

Richards is a limited player in coverage and is almost a two-down safety (and those don't exist). He doesn’t show the twitchy athleticism needed to change direction on the fly, and his closing speed is thrown off by poor footwork in his breaks. His recovery speed is not good enough to play man coverage in college and will be an obvious mismatch in the NFL. Richards will get the "smart" card because of Stanford, but his on-field read-and-react skills were a touch slow and unimpressive when he was asked to read the offense in the passing game.

2014 STATISTICS

Tackles: 68
Passes Defended: 3
Interceptions: 3

PRO COMPARISON: Antone Exum, Minnesota Vikings

Richards isn't a great athlete, but his toughness and ability against the run—plus on special teams—makes him a fine comparison to Antone Exum as a prospect.

FINAL GRADE: 5.20/9.00 (Quality Backup)