2023 NFL Draft prospect profile – Asim Richards, OL, North Carolina

The New York Giants must proceed so as to add to their offensive line, that a lot is obvious to see. Not solely do they should discover a starter or two for the inside, however they may additionally do with including depth to their line as properly.

It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Giants take a lineman excessive within the draft, nor wouldn’t it be a shock to see them circle again and take a participant who is usually a depth piece or developmental participant.

North Carolina offensive deal with Asim Richards has some instruments that might catch a staff’s eye. And the Giants might need extra perception on him than most after drafting two of his linemates a 12 months in the past.

Prospect: Asim Richards (72)
Video games Watched: vs. Notre Dame (2022), vs. Miami (2022), vs. Wake Forest (2022), vs. Clemson (2022)

Measurables

Peak: 6-foot-4
Weight: 307 kilos
Arm size: 34⅛ inches
Hand measurement: 10 inches
Video games Performed: 42 (12 in 2022)

Fast Abstract

Greatest: Arm size, play energy, preliminary quickness, leverage
Worst: Foot velocity, hand method, athleticism
Projection: A utility lineman with potential positional versatility

Recreation Tape

(Richards is UNC LT quantity 72)

Full Report

Richards has good size, pure leverage, and play energy for the place on the NFL stage.

Richards primarily aligned on the left deal with place for the North Carolina offense. And whereas he’s a bit brief for the place by NFL requirements, he makes up for it with 34-inch arms. With these comparatively lengthy arms, Richards’ top could possibly be restated as “pure leverage”. He has a fluid decrease physique and is a pure knee bender with the power to take care of good hip and pad stage early within the rep. Richards has easy footwork and is ready to get in place with out compromising his steadiness or leverage.

Richards has superb play energy which permits him to match up properly with bull rushers. His energy additionally permits him to get well and keep engaged with defenders. He additionally flashes good preliminary quickness off of the snap, permitting him to cope with velocity off of the sting.

He’s additionally a succesful run blocker with the power to contribute to each man-gap and zone runs. He’s athletic sufficient to get and keep forward of the play as a puller, or keep in section in zone blocking schemes. Richards is ready to generate motion off of the snap when he maintains leverage, and flashes a nasty streak.

Richards struggles together with his hand utilization, creating a number of issues for himself. He has a foul behavior of carrying his arms low and is late to carry his arms to bear. That tends to reveal his chest plate and open him as much as energy rushers getting beneath his pads. It could additionally drive his arms to land outdoors of defenders’ framework.

And whereas he has strong preliminary quickness and easy footwork, Richards lacks good foot velocity and vary. He struggles when he must broaden the pocket and is susceptible to hurry rushers off the sting. Likewise, he struggles badly towards schemed pressures that drive him to redirect (both inside or outdoors). His points with hand utilization are compounded towards velocity, because it permits defenders to simply switch velocity into energy.

General Grade: 6.2

Projection

Richards probably initiatives as a depth piece and utility lineman on the NFL stage.

He has good pure leverage, lengthy arms, and easy footwork, all of which NFL coaches can work with. He has the instruments that ought to make coaches comfy with him as a depth piece. Richards ceiling is perhaps highest transitioning to the inside, the place his points with foot velocity and vary could be restricted. That mentioned, his hand utilization would stay a major subject on the within, and he might want to make a concerted effort to enhance that on the NFL stage.

Whereas his play energy and aggressive toughness did assist him get well and stalemate rushers when initially crushed, Richards struggled badly towards athletic or technically sound rushers. He might need the potential to develop right into a beginning lineman with work, however even reliable and versatile depth is important for NFL groups to have.