Eli Ricks CB Alabama | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Eli Ricks CB Alabama
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
ROLE: Outside Man/Press CB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Updated: 03/13/2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Draft Year: 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
40 time: 4.60 seconds (14%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Age: 23.0 DOB: 09/26/2001 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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ROLE: Outside Man/Press CB | |
Last Updated: 03/13/2023 | |
Draft Year: 2023 | |
40 time: 4.60 seconds (14%*) | |
Age: 23.0 DOB: 09/26/2001 | |
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Overall Rating: | 85.6 / 100 | |
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Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
Offense Rating: |
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79% |
Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
QB Rating When targeted: | 56.0 | |
Tackling: |
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60% |
Run Defense: |
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61% |
Coverage: |
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76% |
Zone: |
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73% |
Man/Press: |
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77% |
DRAFT PROJECTION:
2nd - Late
Overall Rank:
#62
Position rank:
#12
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College Games: 24 College Snaps: 1140 | ||
College Combine Results
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OVR Rank:
#39
Pos Rank:
#4
College Combine Results
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Ovr Rank: #18 Pos Rank: #2 | ||
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Draft Profile: Bio
Eli Ricks attended IMG Academy High School and was rated a 5-star prospect by 247 Sports with a scout's rating of 0.990. Following high school, Ricks opted to join LSU after being heavily recruited.In 2020 as a freshman Ricks saw action in 10 games and played a total of 482 snaps at cornerback for the Tigers. He recorded 19 tackles, 2 assists, while adding 6 stops. In coverage Ricks notched up 4 pass breakups, 4 interceptions, and an impressive QB rating when targetted of 60.3.
As a sophomore in 2021 he played in just 6 games and logged 351 snaps for the Tigers after being lost for the season due to torn labrum. He made just 9 tackles, 2 assists, and had 2 stops. In coverage, he totaled a pass breakup, one interception, and a QB rating when targetted of 84.4.
After season's end Ricks transferred to Alabama hoping to resurrect his playing career where as a junior for the Crimson Tide in 2022 Ricks played in 8 games and took part in 307 snaps for the Crimson Tide. He chalked up just 6 tackles, one assist, and added one stop. In the secondary Ricks forced 5 pass breakups, no interceptions, and gave up an elite QB rating when targetted of 41.8.
Honors & awards
- 2022 named to the watch list for the Nagurski Trophy which goes to the top defensive player in college football
- 2022 first-team All-American in the preseason by the Associated Press, Pro Football Focus and Walter Camp
- 2020 earned third-team All-America honors from the Associated Press as a freshman
- 2020 named to the All-SEC Second Team by the AP
- High School - ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the state of Florida by 247Sports, MaxPreps, and Rivals
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Explodes out of his backpedal and has the hands and coordination to force interceptions.
- Does a very good job reading the QB and understands the nuances of route concepts
- A very quick and very confident cover corner plays bigger than his listed size when lined up in press coverage, delivering quick, surprisingly powerful punches and using his natural quickness and change-of-direction ability to mirror on underneath routes.
- His height, overall length, and frame enable him to be a quality press coverage corner who is very physical - disrupting receivers and pushing them off their routes, and jamming at the line of scrimmage
- Displays impressive leaping ability combined with excellent timing to knock the pass away
- Ricks tracks the ball well and does a nice job of getting his head around in plenty of time to avoid flags.
- Effective out of the slot, showing the instincts and quickness to mirror when the receiver has a two-way go. He has good instincts and awareness when playing off, showing good route recognition and anticipation when breaking on the ball.
- Does a good job getting his head around in time when playing with his back to the line of scrimmage. Has the ability to cover quickness underneath.
- Shows good instincts when facing the action in zone coverage, and Ricks has solid ball skills.
- Ricks tracks the ball well downfield and has the hands and coordination to come away with interceptions even when he isn’t targeted often
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Gave up too many big plays in college, especially concerning since Ricks has recovery speed to make up for missteps
- While he is athletic (as expected from a five-star prospect) he doesn't display elite speed and will struggle to mirror the fastest receivers deep
- Is still very inexperienced - has played just over 1200 snaps over his entire college career
- His hips appear too stiff and he struggles effectively in his transitions
- He’ll draw plenty of flags early on with his playing style
- It's too easy to get him to bite on double moves
- Ricks is a little hesitant when facing the action in zone coverage
- His tackling especially in run defense is only average - all too often he doesn't effectively wrap up
Scouting Report: Summary
Eli Ricks is an impressive physical outside corner with elite size, good speed, and overall athletic talent. He's still quite raw as a prospect and hasn't had enough playing time to hone his craft which shows as he doesn't always look fluid, especially when in deep coverage. Currently, we view Ricks as a high third-round prospect in the 2023 NFL draft and a prospect who has the potential to be a quality medium-term starter in the pro game.Eli Ricks percentiles vs other Cornerbacks (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
Eli Ricks Video Review
How other scouting services rate Eli Ricks (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
106.4
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
42.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.