It will be a while before we know whether or not rookie cornerback Shaquille Richardson can play at the NFL level, but so far, most all of the reports have been positive on the Arizona product.
Richardson has already had the chance to cover teammate Antonio Brown during OTA practices and he enjoyed the challenge.
“I want to play against the best,” said Richardson. “I am playing against Antonio out here. I am trying to work against him. He is a great receiver. I just try to go against the best players here and make plays.
“I talk to some of the other corners and some say they have been to other teams and Antonio is the most complete receiver that they have seen, speed, routes, intelligence, everything that you need. The first day that I tried to cover him I was like he is slick. He got away from me, but I am doing better.”
One of the other challenges that Richardson will have during his rookie season will be picking up the defense, but he believes he’s handling all of the information being thrown at him already.
“We put in a lot of plays but you start grouping plays together, where this play is like this play, so I have been picking it up pretty well,” he said.
When veteran cornerback Ike Taylor showed up this week, he was asked to give his thoughts on Richardson.
“He got the attitude and I think that’s the first thing you need to have as a corner,” Taylor said. “He’s definitely got the attitude so everything else will fall (into place).”
Taylor should already know a little bit about Richardson being as the two trained together in Florida. Fellow cornerback William Gay also trained with Taylor during the offseason and Richardson named him as one of the many players that are helping him out in practice so far.
“When I come off the field I talk to them about plays I’ve done, plays that they do or why they did something. Will Gay has been helping me out a lot, Robert Golden ,Will Allen.”
Richardson and the rest of the Steelers players will wrap up their second week of OTA practices on Thursday.
