2023 NFL Draft Profile: Alabama Cornerback Eli Ricks
Fans of the Crimson Tide football team were pleased when they found out last year that Eli Ricks would be joining the team.
It was clear that he had the potential to be a game-changer for the defense, the sort of player that opposing quarterbacks would do their best to avoid.
The Crimson Tide seemed like they were going to have a great year with Kool-Aid McKinstry playing cornerback with a seasoned secondary.
But Ricks didn't start for the Crimson Tide until the Mississippi State game, which was in the middle of the season and after Alabama.
Nick Saban noted at the time of Ricks' performance, "I think he performed well in the final game, and we're hoping he can build on that.
I believe that being able to zero down on the task at hand is always crucial for males.
Ricks may have played his way into the first or second round of the NFL draft if he had stayed at Alabama for another season.
Instead, he left early, making it hard for scouts to evaluate him.
Alabama's Eli Ricks has weaknesses that keep him from walking away of the CB1 mantle," Ian Cummins of the Professional Football Network noted.