Kelee Ringo – Cornerback – 20 years old – (RS) Sophomore – Georgia
Height: 1m88
Weight: 93kg
Estimated position in the draft: end of 1st round – start of 2nd round
2022 stats: 42 tackles, 2 interceptions, 7 passes defended, 1 forced fumble
NFL Comparison: Xavier Rhodes
Recognized by many as the number 1 cornerback of this draft a few months ago, Kelee Ringo saw his rating plummet in no time. To the point of not being selected in the first round?
Strong points
– Physical qualities
– Able to play in multiple schemes
– Tackle
If a general manager is looking for the perfect physical prototype, their eyes will immediately be drawn to Kelee Ringo. Big and strong, he is also extremely fast. A former track sprinter, he clocked 10.43 in the 100m and 21.18 in the 200m, the best times in Arizona State when he was in high school. During the combine, he ran the 40 yard in 4.36. These qualities allow Ringo to be able to defend on both fast receivers and larger, more powerful receivers.
Georgia’s hybrid defense allowed Ringo to play both zone coverage and man-to-man. If he was comfortable in these two patterns, it seems more natural for him to play in the zone, where his qualities of reading the layouts combined with his explosiveness allow him to melt on the receivers in his area. game. In man-to-man, his speed allows him to stay in contact with his opponent, even if he too often gets caught on changes of direction.
Contrary to what can often be blamed on cornerbacks, Kelee Ringo is a very good tackler. He’s not afraid to get his hands dirty on the running game, and isn’t one to shy away from physical confrontation. He does not hesitate to attack the ball carrier with his speed, and his long segments allow him to limit missed tackles as much as possible, even if he is still more of a puncher than a true clean tackler in the sense that he can still concede yards after contact.
Weak points
– Fluidity
– Experience
– Hands
Kelee Ringo has many assets to become a number 1 cornerback in the future. Nevertheless, he will have to work on the fluidity of his movements. Despite his above-average burst of speed, his footwork is still too limited, and he can regularly be overtaken in man-to-man from the snap. He is also very stiff, and has trouble changing direction with his receiver. Even if his speed allowed him to catch up on his losses in the NCAA, he will have to work to stand up to the NFL receivers.
Only 20 years old (21 when the season begins), Ringo is still very young, and has only played two college seasons. He has a lot to learn to avoid certain mistakes. Technically, it’s still very raw.
He has too much of a tendency to grab his opponent’s jersey, especially on the long game, and this will be heavily sanctioned in the NFL. Ringo is also not a playmaker, and ultimately makes few interceptions, because he focuses too often on his receivers and not enough on the ball.
Possible destinations
Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles
After his stellar 2021 season, Kelee Ringo was seen as the best cornerback in this class, and potentially a top-5 pick. improvement one would expect from a player of his age. However, his profile and physical abilities could potentially make him one of the best cornerbacks in the league, if he finds the right staff to best develop his skills. He should, from the first NFL game in 2023, be a starter, ideally in a zone system, or in a man-to-man role on a specific receiver.
There has been a lot of movement among cornerbacks during the offseason, and several teams, such as the Jaguars (Shaquill Griffin) or the Vikings (Patrick Peterson) have lost one of their starters, and could thus be tempted by the Ringo bet at the end of the first round.
