2016 Buccaneers’ Draft Profile: DB Jalen Ramsey
The Buccaneers still need help in the secondary. Would Jalen Ramsey be a good fit?
The NFL draft is just over three weeks away. Players are making the rounds, visiting teams, strutting their stuff for NFL franchises, making their case to hear their name called in Chicago. Teams are doing their due diligence, interviewing, watching tape, and everything else they need to do to pick the player that fits the best with their plan. The Buccaneers are no different.
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Jalen Ramsey is regarded by some as the best defensive back available in the draft. The Bucs need help at the position. We have profiled the other local favorite, Vernon Hargreaves III. We have heard that Jameis Winston wants his former teammate, Ramsey, to join the team. Trading up for Ramsey would be hard, but not impossible, as we talked about yesterday.
Let’s take a look at this player, and see how what kind of fit he might be.
As always, we start with the statistics:
Defense & Fumbles
| Tackles | Def Int | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF |
| *2013 | Florida State | ACC | FR | DB | 14 | 37 | 12 | 49 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 31 | 31.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| *2014 | Florida State | ACC | SO | DB | 14 | 48 | 32 | 80 | 10.0 | 3.0 | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 2015 | Florida State | ACC | JR | DB | 13 | 37 | 15 | 52 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Career | Florida State | 122 | 59 | 181 | 15.5 | 5.0 | 3 | 58 | 19.3 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 4 |
Ramsey is a guy that is always around the football. Even when he wasn’t posting 80 tackles, he was always around 50. He had an influence in the pass rush, and on the back-end. Interceptions, passes defended, and sacks to go along with tackles every year of his college career.
You certainly don’t have to worry about the level of competition coming from Florida State either.
Now to the combine:
MEASURABLES
HEIGHT: 6’1″
WEIGHT: 209 pounds
ARM LENGTH: 33 3/8″
HANDS: 9.5″
In the workouts, he ran a 4.41 forty yard dash. He led the position in the broad jump with 135 inches, and the vertical jump with 41.5 inches, showing an explosiveness that led to his production in school.
Here is what the draft profile had to say about him:
"Strengths: Dominant athlete. Sprinter and champion long jumper for Seminoles track team and hit a 40-inch vertical leap in high school. Prototype frame for a big, press cover corner. From press, lands accurate blows with extended arms into the shoulders of receivers. Can redirect and, in some cases, completely roadblock a route with his disruptive press strength and tactics. Has experience at safety and as slot corner. Boundary corner in 2015 and quick to crowd outside releases against sideline. Shines in trail coverage. Has athletic ability to slam on brakes from full sprint and shadow comeback routes. Length and closing speed make it difficult to beat him over the top. Elite leaper who can challenge jump balls against anyone. Uses aggressive ripping and raking against catch attempts. Aware and instinctive from zone and off coverage. Diagnoses quickly and will stick a foot in the ground and drive hard towards the throw. Balanced, wrap-up tackler in space. Allowed a completion rate of just 38.5 percent.Weaknesses: Much better straight-line player than lateral athlete. Shows hip tightness from press. Overreacts with feet to initial moves from press and can be knocked off balance by a clever release. Footwork and patience from press must improve or teams will match him up against quickness to test him. Missing fluid hips to open and run. Allows early separation in tight quarters and a clean passing window against crossing routes. Had no interceptions this year and just three for his career. Appeared to be a more fiery competitor in 2014. Would like to see him step downhill harder after run diagnosis rather than waiting for play to get to him. Can be a playmaking run-thumper on one play, but then passive the next."
As always, we go to the video tape.
Ramsey is relentless in his pursuit of the football. He sees the ball, he finds the ball carrier. He has strong instincts as to where the ball is going to be, and shows pure athleticism to get there. Ramsey is a fierce tackler as well. He doesn’t miss, and he brings his man down with authority. He would inflict some pain and fear in receivers coming over the middle when he gets his shot.
I do believe he is better suited to be a safety at the NFL level than a cornerback. He has good cover skills, but not great cover skills. His feet, at times, commit him in one direction, leaving him vulnerable to quick releases off of the line, double moves, and things of that nature. He also, at times, pays more attention to the quarterback’s eyes than the receiver he is guarding.
That is an average corner. That is a terrific safety. He jumps off of the tape as a player that would translate as a safety that can close on the football, come up to stop the run, and inflict fear in receivers that cross his path.
Next: Can the Bucs Trade for Jalen Ramsey?
It will be tough for the Bucs to get in position to draft Ramsey. If they do, and value him enough, he would make an immediate impact.