Eagles’ Top 25 Reveal: Surprise Number & Rookie QB Role Shakeup

He has a new number. Maybe a new home is out there waiting, too. That home would be on the outside of the Eagles defense, at cornerback, for Kelee Ringo.

Entering his third season, Ringo is in the mix to become a starter opposite Quinyon Mitchell, a job that became vacant when the Eagles chose to let Darius Slay walk in free agency this past spring. He has already proven himself as a special teams standout, a gunner on the punt team who was second on the team in ST tackles this past season with eight.

For that, and the possibility that Ringo could find his way into the starting lineup in the defensive backfield, he checks in at No. 21 on the countdown of the top 25 best Eagles on the current roster.

Each summer, Eagles on Sports Illustrated writers Ed Kracz and John McMullen compile separate lists of their top 25 players heading into training camp. There are 25 points awarded to the first player in the top 25, 24 to the second-ranked, and so on down to one point for the player ranked at No. 25. With such a solid roster filled with some of the league’s best players, there wasn’t much agreement between Kracz and McMullen in their top 25.

Ringo collected eight points with Kracz placing him at No. 20 on his list for six points, and McMullen putting him at No. 24, which was worth two points.

The list so far looks like this:

25 (tie): Jihaad Campbell and Drew Mukuba

24: Matt Pryor

23: Adoree Jackson

22: Jahan Dotson

Ringo and Jackson are in a competition to be the starter, with the loser figuring to see plenty of snaps in a reserve role.

Ringo downplayed the competition, though he had probably his best practice of his NFL career on the one-day minicamp. Asked about the competition, Ringo said: “Just continue to be where my feet are and taking it day by day, continue to grow. I feel like everybody, as a whole, if we all continue to do that, all of us will be in a good position.”

Ringo is wearing No. 7 this year, having to be patient while the previous wearers of the number came and went, starting with Haason Reddick in Ringo’s rookie year and Kenny Pickett last year.

“I wore 7 in youth ball,” said the University of Georgia product. “Going into college, linebacker Quay Walker, he’s now with the Packers, he wore No. 7, so I wasn’t able to get that, but when I saw the opportunity to get it, I wanted to take advantage of that.”

Now, comes a starting opportunity the he would like to take advantage of.