American Football

NFL Draft Results: Eagles trade up and pick Kelee Ringo at No. 105!

April 29, 2023

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 08 Auburn at Georgia — Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Birds are adding ANOTHER Georgia player to their roster!

With the 105th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select … Kelee Ringo, cornerback, Georgia!

ANOTHER BULLDOG! Howie Roseman is basically doing a bit at this point. And I can’t fault him for it. Don’t overthink it; get the best players from the best team in college football!

The Eagles traded up to make this selection. They sent a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the Houston Texans. The Birds were expected to have two third-round selections next year due to being projected to receive a compensatory pick for losing Javon Hargrave.

Ringo is an intriguing and exciting addition, especially as Day 3 selections go. There was once thought he could be a first-round pick. At the very least, most expected him to be taken on Day 2.

Case in point, he was Daniel Jeremiah’s No. 47 overall prospect:

Ringo is a tall, thick cornerback prospect with outstanding straight-line speed. I love his blend of size, speed and competitiveness, but he has issues with tightness and doesn’t always find the football. In press coverage, he carries his hands low, and if he allows a clean release, he is susceptible to inside cuts, especially slants. He has plenty of speed to carry vertical routes. He flashes big-time ball skills (see: his pick-six to sew up the 2021 national championship game), but in 2022, he had issues locating the ball in the air, resulting in multiple big plays and touchdowns allowed. He is very physical as a tackler against the run. Overall, Ringo is a work in progress. His success will depend on what he’s asked to do at the next level. I wouldn’t rule out a move to safety.

Ringo was the No. 66 prospect on the Pro Football Focus top 200:

Ringo is a mammoth cornerback at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds. He’s built to play in a press-heavy defense on the outside. He’s just a touch inconsistent on his breaks and allowed 552 yards this past fall.

So, it was surprising to see him fall to the beginning of the fourth round.

Why did Ringo take a tumble, exactly? Here’s what NFL insider Albert Breer had to say on Saturday morning:

Ringo’s weight has fluctuated (there were scouts who said he was out of shape visiting Georgia camp last summer), his tape wasn’t great last year, and he’s got a very reserved disposition at a position where teams are looking for a little more edge. He hasn’t shown the high-end potential that [Dawand] Jones has, but with his athletic profile, some believe the ceiling is very, very high.

Are the concerns about Ringo valid? We’ll see. For now, it feels like the Eagles make a worthwhile move to take a chance on him. The team obviously has two high-level starting cornerbacks in place with James Bradberry and Darius Slay returning. But they’ll both be over 30 years old this season. Drafting Ringo gives the Eagles more depth on the outside in the short-term. If Ringo pans out, he can be a long-term starter.

Here’s a scouting report via NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:

Boundary corner with an impressive blend of size and athleticism. Ringo is uniquely suited to travel the field and match talents against some of the bigger targets in the league. He can press and does a nice job of controlling plays in front of him from off coverages. However, he is very average at anticipating breaks and transitioning with them to squeeze the top of the route. His physicality in coverage and in run support are big assets in his favor, but there is still work to be done in consistency of coverage. Ringo’s traits will be highly coveted and he has a chance to become a very good NFL cornerback if his route recognition continues to develop.

NFL comparison: Jimmy Smith

College stats via Sports Reference: