Eagles learning about rookie cornerback Eli Ricks, on the field and off

From veteran cornerback James Bradberry’s perspective, 22-year-old rookie cornerback Eli Ricks doesn’t talk very much.
Going into Week 8 of the regular season, Bradberry has gathered more about Ricks’ personality from his Instagram profile and his musical taste than from their day-to-day interactions. “He seems like a Playboi Carti type of guy, and then some other younger rappers that I’m not familiar with,” said Bradberry, ever the old-timer at age 30.
Ricks may be a laid-back “Cali” guy, safety Sydney Brown said in reference to the cornerback’s hometown of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., but his work ethic and intensity on the field speak volumes to everyone in the defensive backs room.
“Everybody’s got that switch,” Brown said Wednesday. “But when he steps on the field, he’s locked all the way in. It’s cool to see that in him, especially with how he is off the field.”
That approach has helped Ricks earn an increased role in a banged-up Eagles secondary, especially on Sunday in their Week 7 victory over the Miami Dolphins. According to Pro Football Focus, the 6-foot-2, 188-pound Ricks played 14 defensive snaps, 13 of which were at nickel cornerback and one of which was at outside cornerback.
Before signing with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent this offseason, Ricks had never played nickel in college, both at LSU (2020-21) and Alabama (2022). Now, he has played 26 snaps at the position in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Rams and Week 7 combined.
“I like his length,” defensive coordinator Sean Desai said of Ricks on Tuesday. “I like his mentality, his toughness. He is a competitor, so he is kind of showing that. He’s a sponge. He keeps wanting to learn and grow in his roles on the defense, and he’s done that.”
Ricks had a strong night on Sunday in the slot in place of the injured Bradley Roby, who was inactive with a shoulder injury, especially when lined up across from star Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill on third down. Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa targeted Hill with Ricks in coverage on three occasions, according to PFF, and Ricks did not allow any receptions. On one occasion, he recorded a pass breakup and on another, Hill was credited with a drop.
When Desai asked Ricks before the game to cover Hill on third down, the young cornerback said it gave him confidence knowing that his coach trusted him to go up against one of the league’s best wide receivers. Ricks sought to prove that his coach made a smart decision.
“I’ve got a strong belief in myself and I know if I do everything I’m supposed to do, it really doesn’t matter who it is across from me,” Ricks said. “I know I’ll be able to handle the job. I feel like that’s why Coach put me there. So I guess I learned I could do it in a big moment on a big stage.”
Desai initially approached Ricks about playing nickel after veteran cornerback Avonte Maddox suffered a season-ending pectoral injury in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings. The Eagles have since rotated through a variety of players in the slot, including Bradberry, Mario Goodrich, and Roby, who was signed to the practice squad on Oct. 3 and figured to be the solution at the time.
But when Roby went down in Week 6 against the New York Jets, the Eagles turned to a combination predominantly of Ricks (13 snaps), defensive back Josiah Scott (14 snaps), and inside linebacker Zach Cunningham (10 snaps) to take over in the slot against the Dolphins. Ricks and Brown spent extra time in the meeting room last week working with defensive backs coach D.K. McDonald, nickel backs coach Ronell Williams, and assistant defensive backs coach Taver Johnson to learn the details of the nickel position.
Getting to learn the ins and outs of a foreign position alongside a fellow rookie proved to be a beneficial experience, according to Ricks.
“Just a little bit easier when someone else is a rookie as well going with you through it,” Ricks said. “So we were really on the same pace with everything and getting everything at the same time in those meetings together. When I had a question or he had a question, we could always ask each other and we knew that. So I will say that was a big help as well.”
In addition to asking questions of Brown, Ricks has also leaned on advice from veterans Bradberry and Darius Slay as he grows accustomed to the slot and the NFL game in general. Bradberry said he always tries to communicate with Ricks, giving him a peek into his approach to the game, especially as it relates to down and distance, formations, and situations.
Bradberry understands the challenges of moving from the outside to the slot, given that he made the transition immediately after Maddox went down. There’s a lot more space for slot corners to work within, and they don’t have the benefit of the sideline to help them. Outside corners have inside help, whereas slot corners are the inside help, unless they’re in man-to-man coverage.
Regardless of whether Ricks is playing nickel only for the short term, Bradberry said the experience he has been getting over the last few weeks is going to benefit both him and the team in the long run.
“You just never know how the season is going to come out,” Bradberry said. “You never know who’s going to be injured and who’s going to be available to play. Because it’s a long season. You’ve got playoffs, too. You just never know. So you’ve got to have the next-man-up mentality. And of course you want your young guys to have some experience if they are called up.”