As the Las Vegas Raiders continue their search to replace Jack Jones, a 27-year-old cornerback who head coach Pete Carroll informed on Sunday would not be returning to Sin City in 2025, several names have been floated around. In the upcoming draft, those names include Shavon Revel and Trey Amos. In free agency, Asante Samuel Jr. But don’t forget about second-year cornerback Decamerion Richardson.
While Richardson remains a raw prospect who showcased a clear lack of experience on film in 2024, the Mississippi State alum possesses too many ‘Pete Carroll guy’ qualities to ignore. Simply put, what the kids call a ‘dawg’; a physical player who wants to enforce his will on his opposition.
It’s not just the physicality that makes Richardson a Pete Carroll type defensive back, either. The 24-year-old is not only a willing tackler, but he’s a sure tackler.
For reference, Richardson’s 7.8% missed tackle percentage was not only the lowest mark among all cornerbacks for the Raiders in 2024, but it was the lowest percentage by an entire 6.5%.
It’s no wonder Richardson finished his season with only two less takedowns than tackle-expert Nate Hobbs.
These are the qualities that Pete Carroll simply loves in his cornerbacks. It’s the same things that led Devon Witherspoon to being selected fifth-overall by Pete Carroll in the 2023 NFL Draft. These same qualities are what Dan Campbell finds attractive, leading the Detroit Lions to eyeing Witherspoon with their sixth-overall pick in that same draft.
You can see examples of this on my Decamerion Richardson film breakdown, found here.
Las Vegas Raiders CB Decamerion Richardson is both a ‘Pete Carroll Guy’ and freaky prospect
Whether we’re talking Richardson’s 4.34 40-time or his 6-foot-2 height, this is a cornerback who, as a prospect, can best be described as freaky.
It isn’t just his height, either. Richardson has good sized arms and a notable wingspan to back his height. His 32 3/8″ arm length places him in the 81-percentile while his 77 7/8″ wingspan puts him in the 82-percentile.
We can compare this to another 6-foot-2 cornerback, to get a better idea of these numbers. Michigan’s Will Johnson has some fans in awe, and coincidentally, he too happens to stand six feet and two inches off of the ground. The difference? Johnson’s arms are 30 1/8″ long, placing him in the 10-percentile.
Devon Witherspoon’s 31 1/4″ arm length doesn’t match up to Richardson’s, either.
Despite popular claims, height isn’t the defining ‘Pete Carroll guy’ factor from cornerbacks some believe. Witherspoon, who’s no taller than 6-foot, proves that true himself. If this was the defining factor to Carroll, the taller Christian Gonzalez who comes with 32″ arms would’ve been the selection.
However, Gonzalez wasn’t the same physically-dominant force that Witherspoon was coming out of college, so the choice was clear to Carroll, who prefers such qualities.
And, of course, if this was the case, 5-foot-11 Jakorian Bennett would be in trouble. But everybody knows that isn’t the reality.
That doesn’t mean such height and arm length isn’t an added bonus, though!
Don’t be surprised if Pete Carroll thinks quite highly of Decamerion Richardson heading into the 2025 NFL season. Although, that certainly doesn’t mean one shouldn’t expect the Raiders to add a corner or two in this year’s draft. The cornerback position is in serious need of depth regardless of Carroll’s stance on Richardson.
*Top Photo: AP Photo/Rick Scuteri
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