Dallas Cowboys Draft: Home Run, Base Hit or Strike Out?
Kelee Ringo,
Defensive Back
University of Georgia
Every NFL team is looking for defensive back help and the Dallas Cowboys are no exception. Stephon Gilmore was an excellent acquisition this offseason, but this pick-up should preclude the Cowboys from continuing their search for more talent at the position. I went with Porter, Jr as the homerun pick. Coming full circle, Kelee Ringo from Georgia as a first-round pick for Dallas would be a strikeout for different reasons.
For the record, during his time at Georgia, he wasn’t a horrible player. There are just noticeable things about the prospect that make me question him as a potential first round pick. Teams have since cooled on him as a first-round pick but if Dallas considers him at 26 it could be a huge mistake.
He solidified what most knew about him – he is a good athlete with elite straight-line speed (4.36 in the 40-yard dash). It’s the field recognition that I’m having trouble with. I’m not a scout or a purport to being one. Just using the eye test on this prospect. Looking at the LSU game in the SEC Championship from this past season more intently was eye opening. Georgia beat LSU like a drum, there’s no denying that but there were plays made on Ringo that made me scratch my head.
He played mostly in an off coverage but still struggled to keep things in front of him. The safety on his side of the field was no better than he was. His game play versus LSU left you shrugging your shoulders and I wasn’t the only one that felt that way. In that game, PFF graded him with a 54.4 in that game.
To me, he’s an excellent athlete still learning how to play corner in his third collegiate year. For the Dallas Cowboys, they could certainly use his talent but just not in the first round. Chidobe Awuzie was similar type of talent who had bad recognition skills but at least he was a 2nd round pick.
With the Dallas Cowboys, it’s important to get good athletes on that defense but not at the expense of field awareness and overall ability to play the game. Again, just my opinion, but I would be searching in other places with the 26th pick in this year’s draft.