‘He’s definitely growing’: Cornerback Kelee Ringo, 21, competes for a starting job at Eagles minicamp

At the ripe old age of 21, Kelee Ringo is wiser now than he was this time last year, equipped with the knowledge and experience that comes with a full season at cornerback for the Eagles.

Entering the draft as a junior out of Georgia in 2023 forced Ringo to “grow fast” as he transitioned to the NFL game, he explained Wednesday. Comfort came with more repetitions in practices while playing on the scout team against the starters and eventually in games. After Darius Slay underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in December, Ringo earned his first start in Week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks and started the remaining three games of the regular season.

Before the second day of mandatory minicamp, Ringo said he’s at a point where the game has slowed down for him, allowing him to trust his experience and play faster.

“Having a year under my belt has definitely helped me be more calm with my play and also just seeing what offenses are doing against me and strategies and things like that,” Ringo said.

Ringo’s growth will be put to the test throughout the offseason program as he competes for the starting outside cornerback job opposite Slay. Coach Nick Sirianni cast further doubt on James Bradberry’s future as a starter on the outside when he said last week that the veteran corner has been cross-training at safety, reinforcing the idea that someone else could assume the role Bradberry held down for the last two seasons.

The 30-year-old Bradberry exited practice June 4 with an apparent injury and did not participate Wednesday, giving players such as Ringo opportunities to compete with the starters in team drills. On June 4, Ringo took the majority of reps with the first team. He made plays on the ball, breaking up a deep pass from Jalen Hurts intended for Parris Campbell.

» READ MORE: Set to try safety at Eagles minicamp, James Bradberry exits with an apparent injury

Ringo also lined up against A.J. Brown on several occasions. While the veteran receiver snared a couple of passes from Hurts, the young cornerback maintained tight coverage.

“Kelee is difficult at times going against ‘cause I go against him a lot,” Brown said. “He’s definitely growing. You can see a different step with him. I’m not going to put too much pressure on him up here. But you can definitely see a different step with him and he’s hungry. He’s competing at a high level.”

Ringo agreed that he has a “different step” thanks to the experience he amassed over the last year. He said he has a better understanding now of what offenses are trying to do to him. The more he sees, the faster he reacts to similar situations.

Going up against Brown, who has the third-highest total of receiving yards in the league since 2022, doesn’t hurt Ringo’s development, either.

“He’s a great All-Pro receiver,” Ringo said. “I feel like just going against a guy like that every single day can only help you get better, as well as last year on scout team, too. It definitely helped me elevate my game, which actually gave me the opportunity to be able to play.”

Ringo isn’t the only young cornerback in contention for the starting role on the outside. Former Colt Isaiah Rodgers, 26, took the bulk of the reps with the first team opposite Slay in team drills on Wednesday. Quinyon Mitchell, the 22nd overall draft pick this year out of Toledo, figures to be a candidate for the spot come training camp.

But Ringo expressed an understanding that competition breeds a better corps of cornerbacks. When the Eagles drafted Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first and second rounds, respectively, Ringo saw the positives in ushering in more talent at the position.

“I definitely would say the only thing it does is get us better,” Ringo said. “Because everything’s up for grabs. I feel like just having the opportunity to be able to compete for everything that everybody wants, I feel like that definitely brings the best out of every single person out here.”

Although Ringo didn’t take as many reps with the starters on Wednesday as he did the day before, he continued to make plays on the ball. In one rep during seven-on-seven drills, backup quarterback Kenny Pickett attempted to extend the play and connect with Grant Calcaterra, but Ringo stuck with the tight end and broke up the pass near the sideline.

Later on, Ringo lined up on the outside for a few reps against John Ross, the speedy, 28-year-old receiver whom the Eagles signed after he attended rookie minicamp on a tryout. Ross ran comeback routes on consecutive plays, and on the second occasion, Ringo stepped up and swatted away Pickett’s pass.

Ringo may be older and more experienced now than he was as a wide-eyed rookie, but he has more to learn as he looks to take another step in his second season. As he pushes for an increased role in the defense, Ringo says he wants to “open [his] brain up” to different offensive concepts and formations.

“I feel like there’s always room to get better, specifically at the corner position. I feel like it’s arguably one of the hardest positions on the field,” he said.

“So just little things like coming out of my breaks, being able to see what offenses are doing against me, seeing formations, just learning concepts and things like that can definitely help me play at a higher level than I did last year as well.”