The New York Jets selected Missouri defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson with the 13th overall pick, their second selection in the first round Thursday night.
Richardson briefly met with the Jets at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis back in February and recalled that meeting just shortly after the Green & White choose him.
"It seemed real relaxed in the 15-minute meeting we had," Richardson said, adding that the Jets' selection of him "came not as a surprise, but any call would have come as a surprise to me. I'm just glad that they gave me a call and they gave me a chance. Now I'm ready to go and get a win."
In 2012, Richardson racked up career highs with 10.5 tackles behind the line, four sacks and 75 tackles. He added a 60-yard fumble return for a TD and a blocked kick.
Speaking on a conference call with reporters late Thursday, Richardson said he feels he has the required skills and work ethic to make an immediate impact on the Green & White defense.
"I think I'm very versatile," he said. "Helping out the defense and contributing and stopping offenses is what I do. That's the only thing I can say about that. Whatever position they want me to play, I'll come in and learn it at the best of my abilities and give it 100 percent."
One of the biggest assests Richardson presents is his speed. His 40 times ranged from 4.71 to 4.82 seconds at Missouri's pro day.
"As a player, this guy's special," said Jeff Bauer, the Jets' director of college scouting. "We had a lot of scouts that looked at him and he just jumps off the tape. This is a defensive tackle that made plays 20 yards downfield, sideline to sideline, and his motor is non-stop. He's going to make an impact here, quickly. He is a great football player in our eyes and we went with him."
This marks the third consecutive year the Green & White have added a defensive lineman in Round 1 as they picked DE Muhammad Wilkerson out of Temple 30th overall in 2011 and DE Quinton Coples out of North Carolina at No. 16 last April.
"I think he can compete right away," head coach Rex Ryan said of Richardson. "He's been almost an All-American wherever he's been right out of high school, junior college, and certainly this year he played like one. I don't know if he was voted one, but he certainly played like one."
Tonight the Jets have two selections, the seventh pick of the second round, 39th overall, and the 10th pick of Round 3, No. 72. They'll wrap up their draft on Saturday with one pick in each of Rounds 4-7.
