Eagles add third Georgia defender in 2023 NFL Draft
Philadelphia's love affair with the Georgia Bulldogs reached new depths on Saturday. The Eagles traded next year's third-round pick to move up and select cornerback Kelee Ringo in the fourth round (105th overall).
The aggressive move is another reminder of Philly's infatuation with Georgia defenders.
After landing Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Eagles added three more through the first four rounds of the 2023 draft, trading up for two of them — Ringo and Jalen Carter.
Philadelphia moved up one spot to draft Carter at No. 9, sending the 10th pick as well its fourth-round pick next year to the Bears. The Eagles selected Nolan Smith 30th overall.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell was initially critical of the most recent move before relenting.
Trading up to select Ringo aligns with the team's justified all-in approach to 2023. The Eagles should be considered the favorite in the NFC heading into the season. If their draft evaluators had a third-round grade on Ringo, the move is much easier to rationalize.
Ringo is a big, physical corner who struggled at times with penalties at Georgia but was solid otherwise. Per data from Pro Football Focus, from 2021 to 2022, Ringo allowed receptions on only 42 of his 88 targets in coverage (47.7 percent) for 511 yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions and six pass breakups.
He sealed the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game with a pick-six against Bryce Young.
Georgia fielded an elite defense the past two seasons, and it makes sense why NFL teams would want to poach its stars. The only surprise is that only one seems to have noticed what the Bulldogs have been doing. Maybe one day the rest will wake up.
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