Eli Ricks NFL Draft Overview
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6′-2″
Weight: 190 pounds
School: Alabama
2023 NFL Draft: Eli Ricks Scouting Report
Eli Ricks began his college football career at Louisiana State University, during the Covid shortened season in 2020. In that 10-game season, Ricks appeared in eight games, seven of which he played cornerback. Ricks had 20 total tackles (11 solo, nine assisted), and a whopping four interceptions, with two of the four being returned for touchdowns. He also had five passes defended against. In his second season in Baton Rouge, Ricks missed the last seven games of a 13-game season due to injury. He had 11 tackles (nine solo, two assisted), with an interception and one pass defensed.
After the season, Ricks entered the transfer portal and headed to Tuscaloosa and LSU’s in-conference rival, Alabama. In his lone season in the House that Bear Built, Ricks continued to battle injuries and saw action in 10 of Alabama’s 13 games, starting five of those 10, at cornerback. For the season, Ricks had 13 tackles (eight solo, five assisted), and four passes defensed.
Strengths
- Prototypical NFL size and length;
- Is always with his receiver; from the snap until the whistle blows;
- Has speed; almost half of his career interceptions have been returned for touchdowns;
- Is able to successfully defend against contested passes;
- Is a non-stop physical cornerback.
Weaknesses
- Missed significant time during the twenty twenty-one season due to injury;
- Started less than half of Alabama’s games, in his final season;
- Playing zone defense is a challenge, especially when a teammate needs help;
- Has difficulty defending stop-and-go routes;
- Skills against the run need to be better refined.
NFL Comparison: Jaylen Watson
Teams With Need At Position: Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Commanders
Projection: Rounds 4-5
Bottom Line on Eli Ricks
Ricks’ college career started out with great promise including four interceptions, of which two were returned for pick-sixes. However, since 2021, Ricks has battled injuries and does not seem to be the player he was during his freshman season at LSU. Teams will be intrigued by the potential of what he could be and will use a pick on him in either the fourth or fifth round of the draft. What Ricks has going for him is he has the size and length of a prototypical NFL cornerback. Additionally, he sticks to his receiver like glue, from the time the ball is snapped until the whistle blows. He still has some of the speed he flashed as a freshman with the Tigers and shows physicality with the receiver, especially on contested passes.
Still, teams will be leery of Ricks’ history of injuries that have limited him to the equivalent of two college football seasons out of a possible three. Ricks will need to attempt to work his way back to the player he once was if he is going to be an effective NFL player for a long duration. He will need to work on his ability to play zone defense and his footwork especially as it relates to receivers running stop-and-go routes. Lastly, he will need to work on his defense against the run, if he is going to see any significant time for a team willing to draft him.
