Kelee Ringo 2023 NFL Draft profile: Scouting report for the Georgia CB

Oregon vs. Georgia

Kelee Ringo, the No. 1 cornerback recruit in 2020, took an initial redshirt with the loaded DB room of the Georgia Bulldogs. In his first season as a starter, he broke up eight passes and intercepted another two, including the game-sealing pick-six in the national title game versus Alabama.

In 2022 he was a fixture in the lineup and was named second-team All-Southeastern Conference with two more INTs, seven PBUs, two sacks and a forced fumble.

Kelee Ringo, Georgia

6-foot-2, 205 pounds; redshirt sophomore

Positives

+ One of the most massive college corners you will ever find and plays up to that size

+ Can maul some smaller receivers off the line and not allow them to get into their release at all

+ Has the physicality and length to negate slant routes and ride guys along trying to access the inside in general

+ If he can attach to the hype of receivers on vertical routes, with those 4.36 wheels, you don’t see guys gain a step on him

+ His speed allows Ringo to stay glued to his man on quick crossing routes, where he should be at a disadvantage bases on alignment alone

+ When put in the slot, he showed the ability to stick with those inside fade routes despite all the space to work with

+ The recovery burst for a guy that is almost like a linebacker aesthetically is pretty insane

+ Bends off the near foot to the WR very well for how big he is, to not overrun the break-point too far

+ Allowed just a 40.7% completion percentage in coverage in 2021

+ While his junior season didn’t quite live up to the hype, Ringo had a tremendous showing against TCU’s Quentin Johnston in the national title game, where his only catch (for three yards) came on a little slip screen and Ringo was glued to him for the most part

+ Does well to midpoint routes in two-high shells and rarely allows easy completions in front of him

+ Well-coordinated at gaining plenty of ground without crossing over his legs in those three-quarter turns

+ Showcases exceptional ball-skills for any defensive player, with the ability to track over either shoulder and attack passes at their highest point

+ Made an impressive interception in what proved to be a dominant performance for the defense against Tennessee’s then-No. 1 scoring offense (in a matchup of two top three teams), where he basically ran the fade route for Cedric Tillman and made an over-the-shoulder grab look easy

+ Even if it appears receivers have the catch secured, when he initiates contact and punches at the ball, he knocks it loose quite regularly

+ Incredibly physical tackler for the position, who often times becomes the one setting the tone at contact with running backs

+ You see several tackles where he actually drives guys backwards and puts them on their backside, which is rare for a corner

+ If offenses motion the wideout in tight and pull him into the box, he’s not a negative there, being able to set the edge against tight-ends

+ Was blitzed off the corner a few times, where he showed the ability to beat tight-ends with a strong rip-through trying to fan out to him, or slip inside, if they overset

+ Will only turn 21 years old at the end of June, with just two years of collegiate experience

Negatives

– Even though you want Ringo to take advantage of his crazy physicality in a press-man role, in 2022 he didn’t show the anticipation for how receivers want to release, land his stabs accordingly and shuffle in front of guys, so he can match them, which led to him being in catch-up mode and relying on his athletic tools to recover too often

– Simply has to become better with mirroring releases and cutting off angles for receivers, to not allow opponents to be a step ahead of him

– Gets way too aggressive with jersey tugs at the top of routes and will regularly draw flags because of it

– Well-schooled receivers can deceive him with peak-techniques and more intricate routes, where he gets lost for a moment

– Can be a little undisciplined with falling off his landmarks in zone coverage and surrender easy completions towards his area later on in plays

Ringo emerged as one of the top two corner prospects for the 2023 draft last year. Considering he’s stronger and faster than basically anybody he’s faced over these past two seasons, that’s understandable, and I’m sure many coaches are still very intrigued by the skill-set he brings to the table.

However, he threw up legitimate question marks in some matchups during the season. His ability to anticipate and mirror receivers off the line was subpar, and it felt like he was consistently a step behind the guy across from him.

Now, for some of the big plays he gave up and flags he drew, he did make up with a couple of tremendous interceptions and balls he was able to dislodge late. We can’t forget that he is still a very young player who faced some tremendous competition and still has plenty of room to grow in terms of the details of the position.

The tools are certainly there to be a starter on the outside, but I think his future team may end up making him a big nickel to counter the league’s trend towards power slot profiles. I still believe it’s more likely he gets picked in the first round than not.

Grade: Late first / early second round

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