PHILADELPHIA − The Eagles added to their Georgia stockpile of draft picks by trading up into the start of the fourth round to select cornerback Kelee Ringo.
The Eagles came into Saturday without a pick in either Round 4 or Round 5. But with Ringo still available, the Eagles made a trade with the Houston Texans, giving up a third-round pick in 2024.
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Ringo, considered by many draft analysts as a second-round pick, has the size and speed at 6-foot-2, 207 pounds to play on the outside. Ringo ran a 4.37 at the NFL combine. Ringo is in a good situation learning behind veterans Darius Slay and James Bradberry, with Greedy Williams as the top backup.
Ringo had seven pass breakups last season. He also had the game-sealing pick-six interception in the 2021-22 national title game win over Alabama.
Ringo is the fifth Georgia player drafted by the Eagles in the last two drafts, all on defense. They took Bulldogs defensive lineman Jalen Carter (No. 9) and Nolan Smith (No. 30) in the first round. Last year, they took defensive tackle Jordan Davis in the first round and linebacker Nakobe Dean in the third.
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It’s the third pick in 2024 that the Eagles traded, but they’re supposed to have as many as 12 picks next year, including two in the second round, plus as many as four compensatory picks for losing free agents this spring.
The Eagles came into Saturday with four picks, a sixth-rounder at No. 188 followed by three seventh-rounders at Nos. 218, 230 and 248. The Eagles acquired the sixth-round pick and seventh (No. 230) when they traded out of the second round Friday night, moving back three spots to No. 65 in the third round to take Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Steen.
In all, the Eagles gave Arizona a fifth-round pick when they exchanged third-round picks just before the draft started Thursday night. They also gave the Bears a fourth-round pick when they moved up one spot to No. 9 in order to select Carter.
Now they have Ringo, adding to the secondary after taking Illinois safety Sydney Brown in the third round (No. 66) Friday night.
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Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
