One of the top defenders on an elite defensive unit for the national champions, defensive back Kelee Ringo will look to bring that same level of success to a defense at the next level as he enters the 2023 NFL draft.
Here is everything you need to know about the leader of the Bulldogs secondary:
Vitals
Height: 6-2
Weight: 207
Class: Sophomore
Strengths
An unreal athlete with ideal height/weight/speed combination that was ultra-productive in the top Georgia defense, Kelee Ringo could develop into a true No. 1 corner and has the legitimate skillset to do just that. While he did not fill up the stat page with the Bulldogs, his impact was obvious, coming away with four interceptions and 15 pass breakups over the course of the last two seasons.
In pass coverage Ringo excels in man scheme. He’s strong enough to stick his hand into the chest of a defender and fluid enough to turn and run with the receiver should they get off the initial jam quickly enough. He has impressive down-the-field speed and can easily make up any ground lost on the initial break off point, or keep up with the speediest receivers in college football on posts and deep outs. He adjusts well to most routes and has excellent closing ability to make a play on the football when a route strays away from him. He excels in press by stunning the receiver at the line and forcing them to play the sidelines, he is strong and physical enough to bully smaller receivers.
As a tackler, Ringo is solid and understands the fundamentals of tackling, rarely whiffing in the secondary or against the run. He is physical enough to deliver a pop to a ball carrier and can punish a receiver for catching a ball in his area when he closes in on them. His long arms allow for easy wrap and not many tackles escape him.
Weaknesses
Ringo is still learning the fundamentals of the game and with only two years of college football under his belt he still needs to learn some more technical aspects of the game as well as develop better instincts on playing the ball. He too often grabs at receivers and gets lost on the deep balls, which will be more consistently called against him in the NFL. Coaching staffs will need to work with him and develop both technique and instincts to get him to use his hands more conservatively and play the ball in the air as opposed to panicking when he is beat.
He is a little stiff and combined with his size, he is likely an outside corner only, bringing him down to cover a slot receiver or tight end would likely not produce desired results and could be limited to just teams looking for a press man corner.
Projection
Kelee Ringo’s physical ability and size alone will undoubtedly have him in the conversation of the top half of defensive backs. His skill ceiling as a man corner is through the roof and should he be developed and take in good coaching he could be one of the top corners in the league. Teams will need to be okay with his rawness and at times lack of instincts, but he can work on that in the future, but may be a liability from day one. Ultimately his size and upside will make him a fairly high pick in the draft.
Projection: Top 40
