NFL Scout on Dolphins' Jalen Ramsey: 'I'm Just Not Sure He Always Plays Hard'

Jalen Ramsey is arguably the best cornerback of the past decade in the NFL, but at least one scout has some questions about his effort on a play-to-play basis.

Speaking to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, a veteran AFC scout said any decline in Ramsey's play was "more an effort issue than ability."

"I don't think he's declined physically," the scout explained. "He can still do all the things that make him great. I'm just not sure he always plays hard."

The 2022 season was difficult at times for Ramsey. He was notably picked apart by the Buffalo Bills in Week 1.

But Ramsey's overall performance was still in line with what he's done at his best. The three-time All-Pro finished second in the NFL with 18 pass breakups and tied his career high with four interceptions.

Fowler noted Ramsey had a 20.2 percent ball-hawk rate. The stat is a measure of how often a player disrupts a pass divided by the total number of targets as the nearest defender.

It's not hard to fault Ramsey if he had lapses in focus last season. The Rams struggled with injuries virtually all year. Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald combined to play 29 games.

Los Angeles was a respectable 3-3 coming out of the bye before losing six consecutive games. Its 5-12 final record set a new NFL high for most losses by a reigning Super Bowl champion.

Ramsey will get a chance to reestablish himself this season with the Miami Dolphins. He will be playing in a scheme that's very familiar to him with Vic Fangio taking over as defensive coordinator.