Raiders NFL Draft Prospect: CB Eli Ricks, Alabama
One of the areas the Las Vegas Raiders struggled to correct last season was their secondary, and in year two of this coaching staff, they will have an opportunity to bring in the right personnel to run their defensive system.
As we enter the postseason, the Raiders have another concern to add to their problems: free agency.
A total of six players from the secondary (cornerbacks and safeties) will become free agents at the end of the postseason, so the team will be busy evaluating their options via free agency and the 2023 NFL Draft.
In the meantime, we’ll be working alongside SI’s Draft Bible to get you the latest information on any potential cornerback prospects the Raiders might consider drafting.
“We’re going to continue to find players who fit what we look for, and continue to build this team in our vision, and I think we’re going to, at the same time, our goal is to win football games, and our goal for next year is to make an improvement over where we were this year,” Raiders General Manager Dave Ziegler said.
Cornerback Eli Ricks, Alabama Crimson Tide
After a monster freshman season at LSU, where he accumulated four interceptions and two touchdowns, Eli Ricks transferred to play the 2022 season with the Alabama Crimson Tide for reasons unknown.
Ricks did not become a starter until Week 8 against Mississippi State, but his presence was felt once he did.
“An elongated corner with ball skills, Ricks has the makeup of a top defensive back but must build on his technique to congeal himself atop his draft class,” Draft Bible said of Ricks.
Ricks stands 6-2 and weighs 190 pounds, a lengthy cornerback who lacks the elite speed scouts are looking for from a top prospect, but he makes up for it with his hands-on technique at the point of attack.
He is an aggressive cornerback who plays comfortably with the ball in the air, beating receivers to high point for interceptions.
“[Ricks] uses his length at the line of scrimmage, disrupting route timing. No issue when asked to turn and run. Unthreatened in man coverage, via vertical or underneath concepts,” Draft Bible said.
Projected as a day-two selection, Ricks can fall to the Raiders in the third or fourth round.
Just as it took him some time to become a starter at Alabama, Ricks might need some time to compete for a starting job in an open secondary.
The NFL Draft will occur at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo., beginning on Thursday, April 27, and ending with rounds five to seven on Saturday, April 29. ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network will broadcast all seven rounds.
The NFL Scouting Combine is Feb. 28-March 6, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. March 7, 2023, before 4 p.m. EST, is the club's deadline to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
March 13-15 is the free agent negotiation period. Starting at 12 p.m. EST on March 13 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m. EST on March 15, clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2022 Player Contracts at 4 p.m. EST on March 15.
The 2023 NFL Year and Free Agency period begins at 4 p.m. EST on March 15. The Raiders are expected to be significant players in the free-agent market this season.
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