Redrafting the Minnesota Vikings 2023 rookie class
Third-Round Pick (102nd overall)
Original Selection: Mekhi Blackmon - CB (USC)
Redraft Selection: Kelee Ringo - CB (UGA)
Mekhi Blackmon in the third round was a bit of a head-scratcher for the Vikings. Blackmon was someone that many expected to go around the fifth or sixth round this year.
One can understand why Minnesota chose the former Trojan, as he is a physical press-man corner who can also play zone coverage if needed. Long story short, Blackmon fits the bill for a Brian Flores cornerback.
In this redraft, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and company are cashing in on another physical press-man corner who also happens to be a two-time national champion in Georgia's Kelee Ringo.
Ringo slid to the fourth round, which was shocking for most NFL Draft savants. In the lead-up to the 2023 college football season, Ringo was considered by many to be a surefire top-15 draft selection.
Unfortunately for Ringo, he did not live up to the expectations that were set for him in 2022. The Georgia Bulldog seemed lost at times in coverage, especially against savvy route runners, and he struggled with penalties (nine) as well.
Ringo, like Blackmon, fits the description of what Flores wants in his corners. A former five-star recruit, Ringo was touted by many to be the next great SEC corner. Even after a lackluster season, and average NFL Scouting Combine and Pro Day testing numbers, there is still a ton to like about Ringo, including the fact that he loves to get in receivers' faces and knock them off their routes.
With how the Vikings' current cornerback room looks, Ringo could have been penciled in as one of the two starting outside corners for Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next season.
Blackmon does not give me that feeling. Blackmon, at least for his rookie year, seems like he will get an opportunity to win one of the starting spots. The odds are not in Blackmon's favor, with the likes of Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans as the expected starters. Ringo could have probably beat out Evans in training camp and lined up across from Bucs receivers Mike Evans or Chris Godwin on September 10th.