Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri scouting capsule

[RS12]

Prospect: Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri
By Clint Clearwater
NFL Draft Director and Senior Writer
December 20, 2012
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 295 40: 4.89

Strengths: Good size. Very athletic for being such a big guy. He is quite quick and has good movement skills. Explosive; quick off the ball and is able to get good penetration. Footwork is definitely a strength; does a good job of keeping his feet moving when engaged which helps him push the pocket. Stays low which helps him have control of opposing linemen. Great awareness and instincts; keeps his eyes on the football and the QB and gets his hands up. Able to recognize plays developing. Has a terrific motor. Very sure tackler. Is dominant at times. He is a very solid at stopping the run and can stay on the field on passing downs (He can be an effective pass rusher). Actually able to drop into coverage if asked. Plays with good technique and hand use. A lot of potential to be great.

Weaknesses: Strength is a question for me. I saw him get beat on double teams throughout the tape I watched of him.

http://thefootballexpert.com/nfl-dra...n-dt-missouri/

[xwalker]

Athletically, Richardson could be top-10 in this draft, IMO.

The problem is that I keep hearing that he has character and maturity issues.

He was forced to go the JUCO route because of academic reasons. He was suspended for the final regular season game this year for undisclosed reasons. He made some headlines for calling out players on other teams in the media.