Ranked By: Joe 412 and John Toth
Draft 412, perhaps to the chagrin of many 412 readers who’d prefer hearing a certain Steelers legacy’s name here, projects the University of Georgia’s stud cornerback Kelee Ringo to be the first defensive back off of NFL draft boards in April and ranks him #9 overall value in our recent Top 50 prospects list.
First-team All-American (ranked by MaxPreps & Sports Illustrated), first-team All-USA defense (USA Today), first-team junior All-American (MaxPreps), first-team All-State (MaxPreps), All-American Bowl selection, track star with top 100-meter (10.43) and 200-meter times (21.18) in state of Arizona as a junior.
A redshirt sophomore for the Georgia Bulldogs, Ringo has been a constant in the secondary since his freshman year. A guy with all the attributes the NFL look for—height, speed, and length—he will be a surefire first round pick and likely gone no later than the mid-first round, if not the top ten.
Here is a look at Kelee Ringo’s pros and cons:
CB- Kelee Ringo Measurables:
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 205 lbs.
40-time: 4.35 * unofficial
Pros
Play speed and athleticism are NFL ready
Excellent length and hips for the position
Good acceleration, closing speed
Great press man to man coverage
Active in stopping run, not afraid to make a hit
Cons
Can be too aggressive and bite on fakes
Great speed, but footwork technique is lacking
Struggles on double moves, can give too much ground at times
Seems uncomfortable at times in zone coverage.
Final Analysis
Ringo has played a mix of man-to-man and zone coverage in college, and excels in face-up, press man-to-man. His resume at Georgia stands on its own merits and his starts against the opponents best wideouts shows he can be a starter in the NFL day one.
Projected Draft Position
Expect Ringo to go no lower than the top fifteen in round one in the upcoming draft. Kelee will need some polishing but has all the tools to be a stud, shutdown corner if he improves. With his athleticism and ceiling, a team will definitely take an early run at him.