Eli Ricks Complete NFL Draft Profile (Alabama DB's Talent Outweighs Injury History)

Alabama's Eli Ricks played effective defense in 2022 despite dealing with a handful of injuries during the campaign, earning him some well-deserved hype ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. When healthy, Ricks is a terrific contributor, making him one of the many names worth tracking next week.

Here's everything you need to know about Eli Ricks heading into the 2023 NFL Draft.

Eli Ricks Draft Stock & Mock Draft Projections

Mock draft sources accurate as of 4/18: Walter Football, Sporting News, CBS, Pro Football Network, ESPN.

Projected Draft Round: Round 3 (2), Round 4 (2), Round 6 (1)
Projected Team: Raiders (2), Commanders (1), Cardinals (1), Chargers (1)

Eli Ricks Scouting Report

A combination of back and head injuries limited Eli Ricks to just nine games with Alabama last fall, finishing with 13 tackles and four broken-up passes. While those stats aren't eye-popping, quarterbacks often avoided him due to his elite coverage, highlighted by a 41.8 QB rating allowed.

At 6-foot-2, Ricks is more than tall enough to cover the best wideouts in the NFL. His speed and leaping ability are always second to none, as are his ball-tracking skills. There's no doubt that his coaches at the next level will love his football IQ and his ability to track the ball.

As high as Ricks' potential is, there are areas where he could improve. While he's fast, his speed isn't elite, resulting in the odd big play getting by him. He's also only averaged 405.3 snaps per NCAA season, meaning scouts haven't exactly seen a huge sample size — especially with his injury history playing a factor.

Eli Ricks NFL Draft Prediction

On one hand, there's no denying that Eli Ricks could be a starting defensive back in the NFL one day if he can remain healthy. The issue is that he hasn't displayed that ability yet, resulting in mixed results from the highlighted mock draft.

The Las Vegas Raiders are a team that should take the risk of drafting Ricks. After all, the Raiders had one of the worst passing defenses last season, finishing among the bottom six in completions, receiving yards and completion percentage allowed.

Will Ricks solve those issues in Week 1? No, but his coverage skills would at least help the Raiders trend in the right direction. Assuming he pans out, Ricks will be a key contributor within the next few seasons, making it worth Las Vegas' time to roll the dice.

Prediction: Las Vegas Raiders (Round 3, 100th overall)

Check out more NFL Draft content from The Duel:

Eli Ricks NFL Combine Results

Eli Ricks Alabama Stats

Eli Ricks Alabama Highlights

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.