With the 2023 NFL Draft over, it’s time for some film rooms on the Philadelphia Eagles’ rookie class. I will try and get to all the players and some UDFAs over the next few weeks. There are loads of scouting reports that will obviously say very similar things, so I have tried to include film clips to back up everything and I will talk about the player’s fit with the Eagles at the end of the piece. I watched the all22 on several rookies, but I can’t share those clips on my own Twitter accounts (or I risk getting blocked), so I’ve used a few other accounts here. Let’s go!

PREVIOUSLY IN THIS SERIES: Jalen Carter review | Nolan Smith review | Tyler Steen review | Sydney Brown review

Strengths

+ Fantastic size and frame with good athleticism. He is jacked and looks like a hybrid safety/linebacker at times. Very good athlete who tested well.

+ Fantastic deep speed to carry vertical routes along the sideline.

+ Very good when the ball is in the air. Can knock the ball out of the hands of the receiver or pick it off with the ability to catch the ball at its highest point.

+ Has the size and length to press receivers at the line of scrimmage and also force them close to the sideline. Can disrupt the timing of routes.

+ Good tackler in the open field and plays with good hustle and pursuit. Very comfortable setting the edge if required too.

+ Played in a defense that plays a lot of zone-match coverage and he didn’t seem to have problems processing this.

+ Only 20 years old. Doesn’t turn 21 until June.

Weaknesses

– Little too slow in and out his breaks and his hips look a little stiff at times. Better in press than in off-coverage because of this. It showed up in drills at the combine.

– Often turns and runs too early and can’t transition quickly enough toward the ball. This means he gives up a lot of comeback routes.

– Should be better at pressing receivers at the line considering his size and physicality. He is too inconsistent at pressing currently.

– Gets beat downfield too often and doesn’t run as quickly as his time suggests.

– Gives away too many penalties, and can be grabby when the ball is in the air.

Overall

I was pretty high on Kelee Ringo and had him as a late 1st/early 2nd grade but the NFL obviously had a lot of concerns and he fell to the start of day 3. The concerns are pretty obvious on film, I just thought the upside was pretty high for a 20-year-old too. This is what I said about him pre-draft:

Ringo is one of the most athletic and jacked corners to have come out in a while. He looks like a linebacker at times and is extremely physical at the LOS with his hands. He has all the traits you look for as a tall, athletic rangy outside corner. However, he also gives up a few too many plays and doesn’t play as quickly as his 40 time suggests at this point. He has work to do but the upside is high.

Eagles Thoughts: 30 is a little too early for Ringo based on the film, but I wouldn’t mind at all if the Eagles took a chance on him. He could sit behind Slay and Bradberry and if he hits his ceiling, he could be an outstanding corner in a year or two. The upside is worth a shot based on the Eagles’ current roster.

At this point in his career, Ringo is basically a fantastic athlete who is outstanding at operating vertically outside the numbers but struggles outside of that. I think he’s a bit of a boom/bust pick, which is why I think the Eagles are the perfect landing spot for him. If Ringo was asked to start early (as many early draft picks are), I think he would have really struggled and it could have caused him to lose his confidence. However, he has a chance to sit and learn behind some outstanding veterans and develop before getting a chance to start. I also think he will be a good fit in more of a zone defense where he can press receivers on the sideline but pass them off when they go inside. A lot of his really poor coverage reps are where he is in man coverage with a receiver who breaks inside.

If he manages to develop some parts of his game, there is nothing stopping him from being a high-level outside cornerback because the athleticism, size, and speed combination are fantastic. He would be an absolute steal if the 4th round if he does improve. If he doesn’t develop further, I think there is a chance that he transitions to safety as he has the body type and tackles really well. I won’t speculate whether he can play safety or not (and the Eagles should absolutely not move him until he’s had at least 2 years to develop further as a cornerback) because I just haven’t seen him do it. But this is definitely something to consider if he isn’t improving after a couple of years. If this move doesn’t work out, at the very worst you have an OK backup cornerback that you took in the 4th round, who could probably be a matchup piece against specific receivers who win with size and speed on the outside. For a 4th round pick… what is not to like?! I think it is a fantastic pick regardless of whether he develops into a full-time starter or not. He was worth trading up for and taking a chance on.