2016 NFL Draft: Why Jalen Ramsey Is the Next Eric Berry
The NFL features many of the best athletes in the world competing at the highest level of professional football. The standard for playing certain positions is higher than others based on the supply of elite playmakers.
Quarterback and safety are the two positions that stand out the most as lacking quality.
Rarely do teams have the chance to acquire a top-end talent at safety. The last elite free safety prospects came out of college in 2010, when Tennessee's Eric Berry was selected fifth overall by the Kansas City Chiefs and Texas' Earl Thomas went 14th overall to the Seattle Seahawks.
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Florida State Seminoles defensive back Jalen Ramsey has the ability to be as good as both of those players.
The versatile junior has experience at safety, outside cornerback and nickel cornerback. Ramsey spent a majority of his time as a safety and nickel cornerback in 2014, then moved to cornerback full time in 2015.
The Seminoles desperately needed a talent boost there. By making the switch, Ramsey sacrificed for the team, and he responded to the move as well as any player could.
| Year | Solo Tackles | Assisted Tackles | Tackles for Loss | Sacks | Interceptions | Passes Defensed | Forced Fumbles |
| 2013 | 37 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2014 | 48 | 32 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 3 |
| 2015 | 37 | 15 | 3.5 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
It can take years for a cornerback to master the proper footwork, timing and feel for the position—if those things ever come. Patrick Peterson of the Arizona Cardinals is a good example of an athlete who mastered body control and fulfilled his potential at the position.
Ramsey was a terrific athlete playing cornerback throughout 2015 and would probably be a first-round prospect if teams look at him there.
But Ramsey should be viewed as a coverage safety, the value of which is so much higher than that of an outside cornerback. The chasm of talent at free safety is enormous, with most starters either being average or worse. There is a small handful of great, impactful players at the position whom defenses can morph around.
Ramsey has that ability, even if he's often been more of a switchblade for Florida State. He spent 2014 playing the star position, which is a hybrid safety-slot cornerback role, and it showed his skill repertoire and athleticism.
Like Berry, Ramsey is a quality player no matter the task he's asked to perform. Berry has been a top-five free safety since entering the league, largely because of his coverage talent and efficiency as a run defender. Kansas City doesn't ask him to be a playmaker in the run game because of its other talent, but Berry was that type of player in his first three seasons.
Evaluating the single-high capability of a safety comes with the limitation of television broadcast angles. The NFL offers NFL Game Pass, so it is much easier to see how well cornerbacks and safeties perform. Colleges do not offer such an outlet, so we have to put a premium on plays defensive backs are involved in.
What makes Ramsey so great as a prospect was encapsulated in his 2014 performance against the Miami Hurricanes. Although it was just one game, I've seen only one better single performance in five years of draft analysis, and that was by Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack (now with the Oakland Raiders) against Ohio State in 2013.
Ramsey tallied three tackles, one interception, four passes defensed and one forced fumble against Miami. Most impressively, he understood when to be aggressive. Knowing when to go after the ball in the air or stick your nose into a running play comes from instinct and body control.
It's usually not hard to find the best players on the field. Ramsey is often one of those few, even though he plays in the defensive backfield. He is a tremendous athlete, with fluidity, quick feet and speed despite being 6'1", 202 pounds. Take a look at this near-interception and defensed pass:
Ramsey gives Hurricanes tight end Clive Walford a two-year advantage on his cut inside, but Ramsey is never in danger of allowing a big completion. He shows impressive acceleration to close on the ball and should have secured it for an interception. His length and speed on this play were paramount and will continue to be a major asset in man-coverage opportunities.
And covering a large amount of space quickly is critical for free safeties.
The ability to foresee how a play will develop and reach the catch point before a completion is the rarest of skills. Ramsey has enough examples of closing speed and instinct in his film to convince NFL teams he will be able to execute those plays in the pros.
Ramsey showed an incredible knack for finding the football throughout his college career. He had just three interceptions, but he forced four fumbles. His blitzing acumen led to five sacks and played a part in his 22 passes defensed.
When flying in from the secondary, Ramsey has the distinct skill of clogging passing lanes. His size and timing force quarterbacks to second-guess their passing attempts and throw off the designed play. These types of plays don't always result in a statistic but can greatly affect the outcome of games.
Ramsey's physicality has stood out many times. He's a solid tackler who is willing to challenge bigger ball-carriers around the line of scrimmage. I'd like to see him be a little more aggressive working through blockers, but this was a bigger issue at cornerback than safety.
He has the ability to set the edge and dictate where a running back can go. He plays well within team defense—even filtering the ball-carrier back inside to his teammates on occasion. Again, this is a team-defense function and not something that shows up in the stats. Nonetheless, it is impressive.
While some teams that play Cover 3 press schemes may view Ramsey as a cornerback—and he is no slouch at the position—he is a much better safety prospect. He is a rare playmaker at a position that desperately needs more like him in the NFL. His great athleticism, feel for the game and impact on the field make him a clear top-five pick.
It is important for teams selecting high in the 2016 NFL draft to stockpile as much elite talent as possible so they can hasten their rebuilds. Filling needs is nice but often causes organizations to pass on more impactful players. The supply and demand of certain positions must also be a factor for each selection.
Obtaining the next Eric Berry or Earl Thomas will likely cost a high-end selection, but Ramsey is a premium player. He's a fit for any system and will be well worth the investment.
All stats from Sports-Reference.com.
Ian Wharton is an NFL featured columnist for Bleacher Report.
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