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OG Cyril Richardson, Baylor
Be wary with offensive lineman out of Baylor -- they have the same hit rate as defensive backs out of Alabama. That's for similar reasons, as well -- Alabama defensive backs have much of their food chewed for them, as the Alabama front seven puts tremendous pressure on teams and cramps their passing games typically before the ball ever reaches downfield.
And so it goes with Baylor, a team that plays a thrilling-to-watch, quick-strike, wide-open offense that spreads out defenses and keeps them honest more often than not. As such, the job of an offensive lineman at Baylor is far easier than it is at other schools, and you keep seeing these under-talented guys go in the first round (tackle Jason Smith, guard Danny Watkins) far before they should be.
And so it goes with big Bear Cyril Richardson. Richardson is massive, even without his hideous dreds (6'5", 335 lbs). He looks like a pretty decent athlete, and the Bears asked him to pull and get to the second level very frequently, which he usually did with aplomb.
Without a doubt, what Richardson can hang his hat on is his runblocking. He gets fantastic push in the run game, and can blow open holes and sustain his block. He's fantastic when he pulls, and looks really good at the second level. I love how quick he is off the snap. I don't see much of a dirty side but I do see a dogged determination to finish his blocks when he engages.
His ability in pass protection is what I question. He seems to be pretty capable, and I find it promising that he's able to handle stunts and read blitzes from his stance pretty effectively. But again, in Baylor's offense, I don't think he's facing as much heat as, say, Gabe Jackson or Xavier Su'a-Filo.
Projection for Richardson: He's a really, really good run blocker with some questions about his pass protection. Like Smith and Watkins before him, he has the look of a first-round pick on the field, and perhaps even the best guard this draft has to offer. The question then becomes: how much do you ignore Baylor's track record in recent years. Given that teams are still selecting Alabama cornerbacks in the first round, I bet somebody takes him late.
Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Moderately high. Richardson is a pretty good athlete who could stand to actually lose about 10 pounds, and blasts holes in the run game. There's no guarantee he'll make your pass blocking any better than it was with Schwartz, but he has lots of tape of him pulling and getting out in space very well, which the Chiefs love to do more than anything. I would just advise laying off Baylor offensive lineman in the first round, but keep in mind the last one was drafted by Andy Reid... so, yeah.
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