After an off-season filled with celebration, a new Eagles season is upon us. The excitement surrounding this team and season is arguably at an all-time high. The 2025 Eagles are a much different looking team than the one that dismantled the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. On offense, they are set. Defensively, there are a handful of positions that have some question marks on the depth chart.
An important battle will be between Kelee Ringo and Adoree’ Jackson at the #2 cornerback position to line up opposite of Quinyon Mitchell.
Ringo’s opportunity is here
The Eagles allowed Darius Slay (Pittsburgh) and Isaiah Rodgers (Minnesota) to sign elsewhere this offseason leaving the second outside cornerback position up for grabs. It is still very early, but Ringo seems to be the one to beat between the duo. He took the initial first-team reps during mandatory minicamp and showed some signs that he could be the one to step up in the role.
During that week he impressed at the podium, displaying his desire to continue to improve in order to win the starting job.
Ringo, in his third season with the Eagles, is still one of the youngest players in the NFL. If he had been drafted this year, he would be one of the youngest top corners of the class. Instead, he has been learning and maturing on an NFL roster each of the last two seasons.
“I feel (staying in school) would have changed a lot, for sure. Coming into the league much older, I feel like, you have a good amount of experience in the game, but it’s night and day from the league versus college,” Ringo said last month.
At 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, the former Georgia Bulldog has a unique blend of size and strength which makes him such an enticing option for the Eagles. He has the build of a top caliber NFL cornerback and the speed to match. Now, he has to continue to improve after playing just 112 snaps on defense across 17 games and making one start. He had one pass deflection, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and 12 solo tackles.
“He just needs reps,” Vic Fangio said. “He needs to learn to play the game, and that comes with reps.”
Ringo knows he cannot rely on just his talent alone.
“Talent only takes you so far. And just coming to the league and just seeing, of course, the talent could definitely help you be able to get places where you want to go. But taking that next step of focusing on your technique, little things of stretching, learning the playbook, all different things that could definitely help you get an edge overall, besides from your talent.”
The job will not be handed to Ringo. However, his physicality certainly matches up well with the Fangio defense we saw last season that dominated many offenses throughout the season, swarming to the ball with tenacity and athleticism.
“I would definitely say the game is slowing down a lot more, for sure,” Ringo said in June. “Just technique wise, focusing on the little things. Just understanding the playbook. Understanding what offenses are trying to do to you, in the scheme, and everything like that. When everything slows down for you, you’re able to play a lot faster. I’m kind of tapping into that.”
Jackson looking to compete
One of the new faces on the defense has one thing that Ringo does not have entering this battle. Experience.
About to begin his ninth season, the former 18th overall pick by Tennessee in 2017 has played in 97 career games with 82 being starts. He spent the last four seasons with the Giants playing in 51 games and showed signs he still has something left in the tank.
Last season, the former USC Trojan played in 14 games and made five starts in a rotational role. He also dealt with a neck and calf injury during the season. He had five pass deflections with zero interceptions. Jackson signed a one-year deal and said back in March that the decision to ink the short-term deal was his own decision and not how Zack Baun or Mekhi Becton parlayed it into bigger deals.
“It’s based off of me. I feel like I always take a leap of faith and bet on myself. Coming from Illinois, St. Louis, going all the way to California to pursue a dream to where I’m at now. I always bank on myself. Kept faith, kept working, kept grinding and competing. I knew one day the storm will end and I’ll get to where I want to be,” Jackson said back in March at his introductory press conference.
Jackson has maintained a strong mindset on how he views depth chart competition.
“I’m always in competition regardless of if I’m starting or not. Somebody is always trying to take your spot. If they are doing a good job and I’m not performing, it doesn’t do me no justice. At the end of the day, I’m always working like I’m in a competition,” Jackson said back in June.
Despite having more experience than Ringo, Jackson will need to learn Fangio’s defense which has different terminology than what the veteran is used to, but he has an appreciation for his younger teammate and locker mate.
“Kelee is a freak of nature. His intangibles. Being that tall, being able to have speed, his movement. Coming from the West Coast I thought he was a Georgia boy the whole time. Being able to talk to him, he’s a funny dude. He’s good people.”
Jackson will look to make some noise during training camp and preseason to grab the top spot at the other outside cornerback spot.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
