Big Board ranking: #71
Positional ranking: #10
Overview
Position: CB
College: Alabama
Class: Junior
Age: 21
Measurables
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 188 lbs.
Arm length: 32 3/8″
Hand size: 8 7/8″
Athletic testing
40-yard dash: N/A
10-yard split: N/A
Vertical jump: N/A
Broad jump: N/A
Bench press: N/A
3-cone drill: N/A
Short shuttle: N/A
Strengths
Great size and top-tier length. Extremely aggressive and physical in coverage. Terrific in press coverage. Gets his hands on the shoulders of opponents to control them early in routes. Jams are extremely forceful and accurate. Tremendous reach for one-handed jams/jabs. Blankets outside releases. Very combative through the route. Quick reaction time. Can drape over opponents at the catch point. Outstanding ability to reach in with a hand to deflect passes. Smothers opponents on slant routes. Long strides with plus speed when he gets going. Impressive athleticism and stays low. Good ability to come out of the backpedal and break on routes/throws in cushion coverage. Excellent instincts and play recognition. Great ball skills and gets his head around to locate the downfield throws. Has the skillset to match bigger wideouts and tight ends. Does a nice job keeping outside contain on runs to the perimeter. Mostly played left cornerback but saw snaps on the right side and in the slot (mainly at LSU).
Weaknesses
Vulnerable against speed and quickness on the outside. Can lose a step on vertical routes. Stiff in his hips when needing to fully open up vertically. Leans outside and will turn his back with a spin to match inside releases. Needs to avoid grabbing on sudden stops. Needs to avoid grabbing the jersey in general. Should be much better getting off blocks and tackling at his size. Benched to start 2022 season after speeding arrest and marijuana possession in the spring.
NFL comparison
Trumaine Johnson
Conclusion
Overall, Ricks is a press cornerback that aggressively combats opponents at the line of scrimmage and through the catch point. The character and tackling concerns need to be considered, but he can be an all-around imposing presence if he reaches his full potential.