The Pittsburgh Steelers are very likely to be in the cornerback market in the 2023 NFL Draft. One name that might gain traction in the coming weeks is Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo.
According to The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler, Ringo has a pre-draft visit scheduled with the Steelers among other teams.
Ringo will compete in Georgia’s Pro Day Wednesday, March 15. The Steelers should have a large contingent at the Bulldogs’ Pro Day, including head coach Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan. The two are in Clemson at the Tigers’ Pro Day on Tuesday.
Ringo checked in at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine at 6016, 207 pounds with 31 1/4-inch arms, 8 1/2-inch hands, and a 74 1/8-inch wingspan. Ringo clocked a 4.36 40-yard dash with a 33.5-inch vertical and a 10’2″ broad jump.
Ringo was a consensus top-10 selection before the 2022 season, but he struggled in his redshirt sophomore campaign. He consistently got beat in coverage and struggled with mental lapses even though Georgia’s defense was again dominant and won its second straight national championship.
Ringo, who sealed Georgia’s first national championship since 1980 in 2021 with a pick-six of Alabama’s Bryce Young in the College Football Playoff championship game, is a bit raw in his instincts and overall technique for the position.
That could scare some teams off early in the 2023 NFL Draft, including the Steelers, who have struggled to identify talent at the position and develop them.
However, you cannot teach Ringo’s size, speed, and overall ball skills. He’s a twitched-up athlete, one that can thrive in man or zone in the NFL and can handle all types of receivers — from physical, contested-catch types to short-area burst, freakish receivers that are nightmares in space.
Ringo has all the tools, but he needs to develop. He’s the type of prospect you swing big on though with those tools and traits. With a new front office in Pittsburgh with first-year GM Omar Khan, assistant GM Andy Weidl and Director of Pro Scouting Sheldon White, the Steelers have new eyes to look over draft prospects and make different decisions compared to what former GM Kevin Colbert did for 22 years.
