Kelee Ringo DRAFT PROFILE – 2023 NFL DRAFT

Kelee Ringo NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT INTRODUCTION

Kelee Ringo is a highly touted cornerback prospect known for his impressive athleticism, speed, and playmaking ability. He is considered the best corner prospect in his class by many heading into the 2023 NFL draft.

Ringo attended Saguaro High School and was rated as a five-star prospect and considered the number one corner recruit in the nation. After receiving offers from over 25 big schools, Ringo ultimately decided to join the University of Georgia.

During his first year with the Georgia Bulldogs, Ringo had to sit on the sideline the entire 2020 season due to a torn labrum that required surgery. However, he bounced back for the team in 2021 as a redshirt freshman, seeing action in 15 games and playing a total of 797 snaps at cornerback. During this time, Ringo recorded 31 tackles, 7 assists, and 8 stops, and also demonstrated his prowess in coverage with 4 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, and an impressive QB rating of 63.2 when targeted.

As a sophomore in 2022, Kelee Ringo continued to make an impact on the field, playing in 13 games and logging 710 snaps. During this time, he made 35 tackles, 2 assists, and 9 stops, and also recorded 4 pass breakups and two interceptions. In coverage, Ringo maintained an impressive QB rating of 69.8 while playing the majority of his snaps as an outside corner.

Georgia CB Kelee Ringo played a couple of productive seasons for the back-to-back national championship Bulldogs. He solidified himself as a sure first round selection in the NFL draft over the past two seasons.

Kelee Ringo 2023 NFL DRAFT PROFILE

Ringo’s performance on the field for Georgia has demonstrated his potential as a top prospect at the cornerback position. Despite his injury setback during his first year, he has quickly become an important player for the Bulldogs, making an impact in both run support and pass coverage. With his combination of athleticism, speed, and ball skills, Ringo has the potential to continue to develop into a top-tier cornerback and a valuable asset for any NFL team.

 

Kelee Ringo FORTY YARD DASH- 4.35 SECONDS

PLAYER COMPARISON- Patrick Peterson

 

 SCOUTING REPORT- STRENGTHS

Ringo’s speed and agility are among his greatest assets on the field. In addition to being a standout football player, he is an accomplished track and field athlete, with record-setting times in the 100-meter and 200-meter races in his state during his junior year of high school. This speed is apparent when he is defending against vertical routes, as he is rarely beaten in a foot race down the field for the ball.

Ringo is also skilled in defending against mesh concepts and crossing patterns. His quick recovery speed allows him to cap routes with disruptive punches and undercut passes to force pass breakups. He has good ball skills and is able to make plays on the ball in air, as evidenced by his interceptions during the 2022 season and eight pass breakups in his career. In these instances, Ringo displayed reliable hands and leaping ability to high-point passes.

Ringo’s size and straight speed make him best when plays press man at the line against the opposing receiver. His physical play makes it tough for receivers to get off the line of scrimmage and into their route. For most corners, they would need over-the-top safety help when playing press at the line, especially against speedy receivers but not Ringo.

Ringo does a nice job when asked to play off man coverage. He is better when playing press but he is able to cover passes from sideline to sideline. He is faster straight away than he has to change direction. This is particularly evident when following receivers running across the field. It is very difficult for a receiver to win a foot race with Ringo down the field, but working laterally across the field is more doable.

SCOUTING REPORT- WEAKNESSES

While Ringo has demonstrated many strengths on the field at Georgia, he also has areas for improvement. One knock on him is his ability to gear down and change direction quickly and efficiently, which can be attributed to his muscle-bound frame. This can create rigidity in his stop-start ability, particularly in man coverage, where he can lose reps on routes that attack his change-of-direction skills. Additionally, twitchy receivers can stress his hip gate, which can speed up his overall process.

Another area for improvement is Ringo’s tendency to lose focus when the football is in flight. While he can stay in phase with the receiver downfield, he can miss opportunities to make a play on the ball due to late head turns. Additionally, he can be overly protective of outside leverage, putting him in trail on slants, crossers, and in-breaking routes off the snap.

Improving his technical skills will be critical for Ringo’s continued success at the next level. Specifically, he can benefit from better awareness of pre-snap alignment and improved communication to limit coverage busts on his side of the field. Being more aggressive and physical in taking on stalk blocks in space will also be important, particularly on screens and running plays.

Kelee Ringo 2023 NFL DRAFT SUMMARY

Despite these areas for improvement, Ringo is still a highly regarded prospect and is projected to be a day-one starter in the NFL. He has coverage versatility, excelling in both man and zone concepts.

In zone coverage, Ringo demonstrates good instincts in reading route combinations as he hits his zone landmarks. He also does a good job leveraging as a Cover-2/flats defender when tasked with a Hi-Lo route combo.

PLUS SIDE:

• Elite all around corner in zone coverage and man coverage
• Physical corner who can play press man with the best and makes tackles
• World Class junior sprinter

NEGATIVES:

• Missed time with shoulder injury at Georgia
• Relied on pure athleticism and size too much, needs to work on fundamentals (i.e route recognition) when battling receivers
• Needs to improve on getting head around and play the ball and not locking in on receiver

Overall, Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo is a highly talented cornerback prospect with impressive athleticism and playmaking ability. With further development and refinement of his skills, he has the potential to become an even stronger player in the NFL.

Any defense in the league would be thrilled to add him to their arsenal. We have him ranked 17th on our draft big board and 2nd overall at the position behind Christian Gonzalez.