Subscribe
Follow Us
When news broke that the Green Bay Packers were releasing Jaire Alexander after seven seasons with the team, the interest of many a Philadelphia Eagles fan was piqued.
On paper, it makes sense, right? The Eagles lost three veteran cornerbacks in Darius Slay, Isaiah Rodgers, and James Bradberry – even if Bradberry didn't play a single snap in 2024 – and only replaced them with 29-year-old Adoree' Jackson and Mac McWilliams, a fifth-round pick out of UCF. While Alexander was largely released by the Packers because of availability, not ability, in the NFL, the latter is just as important as the former, especially when a player is being paid like a full-time star, instead of a roll of the dice gamble.
If Alexander is willing to sign a deal in the $3-5 million range, that bet is probably worth taking, as the last full season Alexander played in the NFL ended with a trip to the Pro Bowl. But if he costs more? The Eagles should look to stick with what they have and roll forward into the future, as investing big money in a 28-year-old with major injury issues could cause more harm than good for Philadelphia this fall.
Kelee Ringo deserves a chance to win the CB2 spot
As things presently stand, the Eagles have two Pro Bowl-caliber cornerbacks on their roster in Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell. While the former is at his best in the slot, and could take on an even bigger role for the team this fall in defensive subpackages, the Eagles have been trying him out on the outside in base down packages in order to make him a full-time starter instead of a part-time performer.
But in the modern NFL, where teams typically play with at least five defensive backs on two-thirds of their defensive snaps, a defensive coordinator really needs to have three players who can effectively fill a full-time role, especially with a ringer like DeJean on the inside.
Could that player be Alexander? Potentially so, but the Eagles likely hope the job is instead won by Kelee Ringo, as he perfectly fits the team's timeline.
A fourth-round pick out of Georgia in 2023, Ringo is somehow still only 22 as he prepares to enter his third NFL season and has the build of a prototypical NFL starter. Standing 6-foot-2, 209 pounds with long arms and a 4.36 40 time, Ringo has a scheme-agnostic build, with the physicality to play in a man-press scheme and the recovery speed to keep up with opposing wide receivers in a variety of different zone looks.
Though he only played 113 defensive snaps in 2024, Ringo finished out the season with just four receptions allowed versus five tackles, earning a PFF overall grade of 65.8 and a coverage grade of 67.2 for his efforts.
Is Ringo a finished product? No, but he has been earning plenty of first-team looks in 2025 during OTAs and minicamp, and has even been afforded a chance to break huddles alongside his teammates. After being largely overlooked in 2024 due to the presence of Slay and Rodgers, Ringo deserves every chance to succeed in 2025, with Jackson, McWilliams, and Eli Ricks available if he needs to be replaced.
Article Continues Below
The Eagles should test their depth
While Ringo may be the in-house favorite to play that third cornerback spot behind DeJean and Mitchell, he is far from the only interesting option on the Eagles' roster.
A long-time member of the NFC East during his time with the New York Giants, Jackson is an athletic defensive back with inside-out versatility, good ball skills, and the potential to go two ways as a return man as well.
Originally drafted out of USC in the first round back in 2017, where he played cornerback and some wide receiver for the Trojans, Jackson has been a solid enough option at cornerback so far as a pro, earning a PFF grade of 69.0 or higher in all but two of his NFL seasons so far. While Jackson probably won't be the Eagles' long-term answer at cornerback, he could fill a similar role to Mechi Becton in 2024, with the potential to parlay some quality play into a new deal with Philadelphia or elsewhere in the future.
Behind Jackson, the Eagles have consistently found a roster spot for Ricks despite a lack of defensive opportunities. A former five-star recruit coming out of high school, Ricks looks like an NFL defensive back, even if he's yet to find a full-time role with the Birds so far. While he only logged 14 defensive snaps last season, Ricks remains firmly in the conversation for a spot on the team and in the rotation, even if he's probably a long shot to actually win the outside cornerback spot opposite Mitchell.
And from the 2025 NFL Draft class, the Eagles have two defensive backs who could make waves in Vic Fangio's defensive backfield, with McWilliams and second-round pick Andrew Mukuba both having the potential to log quality snaps in the slot due to their athletic profiles, size, and college experience. While making DeJean a full-time outside cornerback may not be the best use of his talents, he was used as a punt returner before taking over for Avonte Maddox in the slot, and would likely be willing to fill that role well if his number was called.
Would the Eagles be better off in Week 1 with Jackson on their roster? Maybe so, but if Ringo, McWilliams, Mukuba, or even Jackson can step up and fill that role in 2025, it will put the Eagles in a better position moving forward, both financially and from a developmental standpoint. Worst case scenario, there's always the trade deadline, where defensive backs can always be had for a price.
