Former Alabama and LSU cornerback Eli Ricks made a splash in his NFL debut on Saturday evening. The rookie corner hauled in a pick-6 off the Baltimore Ravens to bring the Philadelphia Eagles within a point in the fourth quarter of their preseason opener.
Second year Ravens quarterback Anthony Brown attempted to complete an out on the near sideline to wideout Sean Ryan. Matching the receiver while reading Brown’s eyes beautifully was Ricks.
With a single foot in the ground he changed directions and drove on the ball, intercepting it before ferrying it 30 yards into the end zone.
The Eagles went for a 2-point conversion and did not get it, leaving the Ravens with a slim 20-19 lead.
After a solid college career in the SEC, Ricks was an undrafted free agent in the 2023 NFL Draft. He had been hampered by injuries during the 2022 season at Alabama.
Ricks starred as a freshman at LSU, intercepting four passes in 11 games, including a pair of pick-6s. However, injuries slowed him the next two seasons at LSU and then with the Crimson Tide after transferring. In his last two years of college, Ricks appeared in just 15 games.
The pedigree is there for Ricks to be a solid NFL contributor and he showed a glimpse of it on Saturday.
It’s been a nice night for Eagles rookies from SEC schools
Jalen Carter wasted no time making his presence felt as he took his first NFL snap Saturday in a preseason contest. The Philadelphia Eagles rookie defensive tackle slipped his way through the offensive line and got his hands on Ravens quarterback Josh Johnson to disrupt the play.
As Carter dragged Johnson to the ground, the QB barely got the ball off in time to avoid a sack. But it was a glimpse at what could come for Carter, who was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Georgia. You can view his NFL debut below.
Carter joins an Eagles team that is coming off of a Super Bowl appearance this past season. He figures to step in right away as a starter on the defensive line that also features his former college teammate, Jordan Davis.
Carter was a key cog in helping Georgia to back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. Over his three year career in Athens, he totaled 83 tackles (18.5 for loss), six sacks and 77 QB hurries. He was one of three former Bulldogs to be drafted to Philadelphia this offseason along with linebacker Nolan Smith and defensive back Kelee Ringo.
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