Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Kelee Ringo has the combination of size and speed, but a few key flaws could cause him to slip down 2023 NFL Draft boards.
A two-time national champion with the Georgia Bulldogs, Kelee Ringo is among the most battle-tested cornerbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft. It was Ringo who clinched the Bulldogs’ first title with a 79-yard interception return for a touchdown against Bryce Young and Alabama. That play vaulted Ringo into the national spotlight, and he earned 2022 All-SEC Second Team honors as a full-time starter in his redshirt sophomore season.
Ringo is also an athletic outlier at the position with a rare combination of size and speed that NFL teams will covet, but he’s still technically raw which makes it difficult to project where exactly he could go.
Kelee Ringo strengths match up with the NFL’s alpha receivers
Of the top 20 receivers in terms of yards last season, only four were under 6 feet tall, so it’s no surprise many defensive coordinators currently favor bigger cornerbacks to handle these offensive weapons. That’s where Ringo stands out. He measured a shade under 6’2 at the NFL Combine (90th percentile among cornerback combine measurements since 1999, according to MockDraftable), weighed in at 207 pounds (93rd percentile) and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds (92nd percentile). That’s a very enticing ball of clay to mold.
Ringo’s physicality shows up all over his tape, and no receiver will be an obvious mismatch. His speed allowed him to be patient in coverage and make up ground quickly when needed, and he excelled at staying in a receiver’s hip pocket on deep routes.
Ringo’s safety-like size should make him an asset against the run if his tackling improves, and his competitive toughness stands out on film, especially in the biggest games. There are times when his interest seems to ebb and flow against lesser opponents, but he made some key plays for Georgia in the Bulldogs’ major playoff games.
Kelee Ringo will struggle against certain receivers in the NFL
As great as Ringo’s straight-line speed is, he proved susceptible to quick separation while at Georgia. When a receiver breaks clear of Ringo’s press or challenges him in off-coverage, he will have opportunities to create short-area distance. Only the smallest bit of separation is needed in the NFL, and Ringo will give that up at this point in his career.
He also has a tendency to be further away from the catch point than you’d like, and he got a hand on fewer than 10 percent of the passes thrown his way, according to Pro Football Focus. His physical traits may be hindering his overall development a bit as well. Ringo plays with a reactive mindset, allowing receivers to make the first move. His speed has allowed him to play that way so far, but he’ll need to get better at knowing what’s coming at the next level.
Better control would help Ringo as a run defender, as he has a tendency to come in fast and loose. On a larger scale, Ringo didn’t consistently have the impact many expected he would during the 2022 season.
Kelee Ringo highlights
Kelee Ringo’s 2023 NFL Combine sesults
Ringo was expected to run one of the fastest 40s at the combine, and his 4.36 didn’t disappoint and ranked among the best. It may take him a tick longer than expected to get up to top speed, however, as Ringo’s 10-yard split of 1.54 seconds was in the middle of the pack for cornerbacks. He had a 33.5-inch vertical jump and a 10’2 broad jump, which ranked among the lowest for the position. Those two numbers may be cause for concern if teams don’t feel his size can make up for it. Ringo has a Relative Athletic Score of 8.2 with elite marks in size and speed.
What others are saying about Kelee Ringo
Want a second opinion on Ringo? Here’s what PFF’s 2023 NFL Draft Guide has to say about the Georgia corner:
“Ringo is arguably the freakiest athlete in the 2023 NFL Draft. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, he clocked an approximate speed of 23.5 mph during one of his pre-draft workouts. For reference, the fastest ball carrier in the NFL this season came in around 22 mph. The issue is that Ringo is still raw as a cornerback. He allowed 13 catches of 15-plus yards this past year, the second most among SEC cornerbacks. He’s too reactive and needs to do a better job of anticipating what the offense will throw at him. Still, Ringo’s ridiculous tools are tough to pass up.”
The NFL Draft is the perfect collision of projection and prior performance. Ringo seemingly checks both boxes, but questions still linger in a few key areas. Still, all it takes is for a team to (justifiably) fall in love with Ringo’s combination of size and speed, and it’s possible that happens early on Day 2. Don’t be surprised if a team in the first round takes a chance on the super-athletic cornerback.
