Why Undrafted?: Antonio Richardson, OT, Tennessee
By Charlie Campbell, @draftcampbell
Over the past few seasons, Richardson was one of the top left tackles in the SEC. He came out for the 2014 NFL Draft following his junior year, despite the 2013 season not being as good as the 2012 season. The latter was a great year for Richardson that included an impressive game against superstar defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. That game and the rest of that season led many to project Richardson as a future first-rounder entering the 2013 season.
Scouts have told WalterFootball.com that Richardson has the ability to be a mauler in the ground game and is surprisingly athletic. He should probably be moved to right tackle in the NFL.
After going undrated, sources told WalterFootball.com that the reason why Richardson wasn’t selected was because teams flunked him medically. He is said to have a microfracture knee injury that caused a lot of teams to take him off their draft boards entirely. Some believe that he is going to need a year on injured reserve before he’ll be ready to compete.
Richardson signed with the Minnesota Vikings as undrafted free agent. The team is set at tackle for its starters, so Richardson will have to make the squad as a backup. He reminds me of Minnesota having Donald Penn on its roster before losing him to Tampa Bay because of veteran starters already on the roster. With the Buccaneers, Penn became one of the better left tackles in the NFL and a Pro Bowler.
If healthy, I could see Richardson following a similar path.
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