Athletic Profile
Height: 6020
Weight: 188
Arm Length: 32 3/8”
40 Time: 4.60
10 Yard Split: 1.59
Vertical: 35”
Broad Jump: 1007
3-Cone: 7.44
Shuttle: N/A
Relative Athletic Score: 5.07
* Indicates Recorded At Pro Day
Statistics
2022: 12 TK (13.3 MIS%) - 19 TGT - 12.8 Y/R - 0 TD - 5 PBU (0 INT) - 45.3 NFL - 4 PEN
2021: 9 TKL (26.7 MSI%) - 17 TGT - 12.4 T/REC - 1 TD - 1 PBU (1 INT) - 84.4 NFL - 2 PEN
Pros
Length
Long Speed
Zone Instincts
Ball Tracking in Flight
Physical Nature in Coverage
Cons
Stop/Start Ability
Lateral Quickness
Lacks Patience in Man
Tackling
Summary
Eli Ricks was one of the most highly recruited players in his class out of High School. The former IMG star was the top player in Florida before committing to LSU. Ricks played in 14 games over two seasons for the Tigers before transferring to Alabama in 2022. Ricks struggled early on to get on the field for the Crimson Tide but eventually settled in as a five game starter later in the season.
Ricks is a long rangy corner. He checked in at the combine with 80th percentile measurements for length and 90th+ percentile for height. This directly translates to his game where he is at his best as a physical press corner. Ricks loves to get contact with receivers and disrupt their route timing at the line of scrimmage. He does an excellent job of utilizing his size and the sideline to reduce throwing lanes. He has the hip fluidity and long speed to turn and run down the field. Above average ball skills at his length typically mean tight windows for QBs down the sideline. Ricks like most tall corners struggles with quicker players. A lack of stop start ability and poor lateral agility means Ricks has issues covering players when he can’t get his hands on. Knowledge of that means he often bails too early in his drops and gives up his leverage in order to compensate. Cleaning up his footwork and having more faith in his tools at the line of scrimmage would go a long way. Ricks needs to show just a hair more patience before transitioning to coverage.
As a zone defender Ricks has the length and instincts to make an impact. He shows the ability to pass off route concepts and drive on receivers in front of him. Rick’s tape shows the ability to cover large distances and make plays on the ball in zone. He does struggle as an underneath player where his lack of short area explosion is an issue. Ricks is a willing run defender but it is not his strong suit. He struggles to get off blocks and is extremely inconsistent as a tackler, opting to throw his body at ball carriers instead of bringing his feet and wrap up.
Ricks is a high ceiling corner that possesses rare physical tools. His lack of quickness and acceleration ability likely limits him to being an outside corner in a scheme that primarily runs Cover 1 and Cover 3. With more reps and coaching Rick’s footwork and impact in the run game should improve over time. Eli Ricks projects a high upside scheme specific corner. Given his physical tools and SEC pedigree he should comfortably find himself inside the first 100 picks.
Grade: 5.98 - Third Round Grade (Has A Chance To Contribute)
Games Watched: UCLA (2021), Kansas State (2022), Mississippi State (2022), LSU (2022), Utah State (2022)