dbair1967

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Sturm's NFL draft profile series: Jalen Ramsey could come in and be the best player in the Cowboys secondary

By Bob Sturm , Special contributor Contact Bob Sturm on Twitter: @SportsSturm


I have never been a scout or a NFL General Manager, but I am willing to watch a ton of football. By watching about 200 snaps of each prospect, we can really get a feel for a player and then know what we are talking about a bit better. It is no exact science, but the NFL hasn't quite figured out drafting either, so we are going to do the best we can.To read more about the 2016 NFL Draft Project, click here.

Jalen Ramsey, CB/S, Florida State - 6'1, 202 - Junior - #8

Anyone who analyzes the draft has certain things that they look for and credit or debit accordingly based on characteristics we seek. I confess that my personal biases for defensive backs often revolve around how much they appear to enjoy or avoid tackling. I realize that I might not have realized how great Deion Sanders was because he seemed allergic to contact at times, but overall this has served me well. Guys do fall through the cracks, however - like last year, Marcus Peters was that guy who had no use for run support. And then he won defensive rookie of the year. I guess you don't need to tackle running backs to be a heck of a player.

This shows us that if there are 10-12 components of a player's make-up that we value, we should not overvalue the effect of one. We should look at the full composite of the player and project accordingly.

But, what if we stumble upon a player that appears to have no component of concern? What if Jalen Ramsey from Florida State appears to be the most complete defensive back that the last decade can offer? Because from where I sit today, I am not sure who I would value higher. He seems to be able to play free safety, strong safety, outside corner, or slot. He seems to be proficient at zone defense or man coverage. He seems to be great at pass defense and run support. In other words, this guy is dripping with off-the-charts grades across the board. Ramsey was a 5-star recruit originally headed for USC, but changed to Florida State where he played 3 seasons. In 2013, he played a lot of reserve time at corner. In 2014, he started and dominated at safety. And in 2015, he switched back to corner and was very good. To top it off, he was magnificent at special teams, too. There is no such thing as "bust proof", but I am tempted here to declare it.

What I liked: He is a very big corner who also possesses track star speed, a disposition to hit and hurt, and a compete level that grows as the game gets later and you can see that his 4th quarter/close game motor even burns hotter. He has very fluid athleticism and yet has the characteristics as a tackler that you look for in a football player. He is the classic hybrid defender that likely can play anywhere you want on the defense as he played a lot like a linebacker in 2014 and then showed he could haul off and take the boundary side as a lock-down corner in 2015 and transition just as well. As a blitzer, he might be the most natural in the bunch as every time he is sent off the corner, the play is getting disrupted. He has blinding speed off the edge and in one game last season had consecutive plays where he blitzed off the edge and broke up a pass and then chased speedster Philip Dorsett (4.33 40 time) down the seam and picked off the game-clinching interception. He is a playmaker and can do that in so many ways.

What I did not like: Not much. He will guess on plays a bit and watch the QB, and that caused him to lose his man a time or two. I don't like this, but it is some of the collateral damage of an instinctive DB who is looking to make plays. You want disciplined technique, but also to allow a playmaker to try to make plays. It is a slippery slope. But, when he does make a mistake and gets beat, his responses are legendary where he then bounces back and takes the game over. He competes so hard and I think he is motivated by the occasional mistake. He also drops interceptions 3-4 times in the 8 games I watched over 2 seasons.


Summary and Potential Fit For the Cowboys: For me, this is likely the best player in the draft. Position versatility, ability to come in and be the best player in the Cowboys secondary (regardless of which position it might be), and a 21-year old who looks like stardom in the NFL is not far away. Jalen Ramsey sure checks all of the boxes I would look for when you discuss things you are looking for in a Top 5 pick.

I am skeptical about whether he would be available for the Cowboys and whether the Cowboys would want to spend another 1st round pick on a defensive back, but it sure seems like if he is around at their pick that this player is the type you can feel great about. I am asked frequently where would he play if he were with the Cowboys, which is a question we still ask about Byron Jones. I think the Cowboys want Jones to be their full-time deep safety from here on out, which might put Ramsey as a box safety or as a corner. I am not that hung up on this question at the moment because I don't know the future of the personnel situation with Brandon Carr or even Mo Claiborne. But, I do know this: Zone or man, corner or safety, Jalen Ramsey is going to be the best defensive back on his team for a long, long time. And if that happens to be Dallas, then let's hope the coaches understand how to use his skill set properly and to maximize his ability. I think he is a star.
 

dbair1967

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Sturm, like a lot of people seems sold on him 100%.

That said, I just wonder where the big plays are. He doesn't have many. Only 3 picks in 3 yrs and none last season. 22 total passes defensed in those 3 years. For those that want to say this is because everybody avoided him, remember FSU has put a number of fairly high drafted DB's into the NFL the past few seasons. You cant avoid throwing at everybody.

On the plus side, he obviously has size and what almost assuredly will be tremendous athletic ability. He also tackles extremely well and while he didn't make a lot of plays on the football, he did get 15 tackles for loss and 5 sacks in these 3 seasons.

Still, I wouldn't take him above Wentz or Goff and probably wouldn't take him before Bosa (depending on what we do in free agency)
 

Doomsday

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Darren Woodson in his old age could come in and be the best player in the Cowboys secondary.
 
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Sturm, like a lot of people seems sold on him 100%.

That said, I just wonder where the big plays are. He doesn't have many. Only 3 picks in 3 yrs and none last season. 22 total passes defensed in those 3 years. For those that want to say this is because everybody avoided him, remember FSU has put a number of fairly high drafted DB's into the NFL the past few seasons. You cant avoid throwing at everybody.

On the plus side, he obviously has size and what almost assuredly will be tremendous athletic ability. He also tackles extremely well and while he didn't make a lot of plays on the football, he did get 15 tackles for loss and 5 sacks in these 3 seasons.

Still, I wouldn't take him above Wentz or Goff and probably wouldn't take him before Bosa (depending on what we do in free agency)

Yeah, I am sick and fucking tired of "defensive backs" who record zero ints in whole seasons. Not interested in that shit no more. Give me guys who can get the occasional pick like the way it used to be please.
 

Bob Sacamano

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The numbers might not be there, but you can't understate the type of impact his style of play would have on the defense. Just look back to Roy William the safety invigorating the defense and team with his attitude his first few years in the league.

The dude is flat out everywhere and plays with so much aggression. Get yourself a Darren Woodson back there for Ramsey; and we may have a poor man's one in Byron Jones, and let's see what he can do.

No way can we afford to say, 'we don't have a need for a person who can singlehandedly take over a game'.

I'm not necessarily advocating taking him there at 4, but if we did; I would be tickled silly.
 

Bob Sacamano

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And what the Broncos showed, having 3 very good corners can get you far. We have exactly 0 at the moment; although Scandrick is really close. I might put OScan about on par with Aqib Talib.
 

Dodger12

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And what the Broncos showed, having 3 very good corners can get you far. We have exactly 0 at the moment; although Scandrick is really close. I might put OScan about on par with Aqib Talib.

Their CB's have benefited from having a dominant DL. They have 2 1st round pass rushers that are dominant and and UFA (Harris) and 2 FA's (Ward and Talib) in the secondary. The picked a CB (Roby) in the 1st round in 2014 and one in the 2nd round (Moore) in 2011. Moore is gone and Roby is still young but the key players in the secondary are still 2 FA's and an UFA.
 

Doomsday

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Yep a half decent pass rush would make even our secondary seem to be great.
 

dbair1967

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The numbers might not be there, but you can't understate the type of impact his style of play would have on the defense. Just look back to Roy William the safety invigorating the defense and team with his attitude his first few years in the league.

The dude is flat out everywhere and plays with so much aggression. Get yourself a Darren Woodson back there for Ramsey; and we may have a poor man's one in Byron Jones, and let's see what he can do.

No way can we afford to say, 'we don't have a need for a person who can singlehandedly take over a game'.

I'm not necessarily advocating taking him there at 4, but if we did; I would be tickled silly.

But to take over a game, doesn't he need to make plays?

Roy Williams made a lot of plays, including a lot of plays on the football to go with game changing hits on receivers and RB's
 

onlyonenow

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that is my big objection to taking Ramsey. Turnovers to me has to be a component of a guy you pick in the top 5.

Now I fully admit that he does look like he can be a lock down CB. Or a monster maybe at FS. And he does seem to have the flexibility to do both which is very rare. Jones is another who can do both but seems to be clearly a better FS then CB.

Now if the boys have some kind of plan to redo the Secondary and think Ramsey can really make a difference then maybe.

IF we did get him we would have three guys (Scandrick, Jones, and then Ramsey) that we could reasonably say can play with just about anyone in the NFL. Then we keep either Carr or Mo and let the other go. PIck up one more good player and we have a really good Secondary. Not great but really good and we cannot say we have had that for a very long time.

But this all would be for Zip if we cannot get a pass rush. Bosa is NOT an elite pass rusher so I would in fact if forced to choose take Ramsey over anyone but Goff at 4. (Actually my dream is for Tunsil to fall to us and we take him as BPA and have the all time O line (4 first rd picks and one guy who would have been)

Of those mentioned as possibles for us at #4 the only one that scares me is Bosa. I would be OK even taking Jack over Bosa.
 

Doomsday

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IF we did get him we would have three guys (Scandrick, Jones, and then Ramsey) that we could reasonably say can play with just about anyone in the NFL.
Except for the anemic pass rush. If we don't fix that it doesn't matter who we have in the secondary.
 

onlyonenow

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Except for the anemic pass rush. If we don't fix that it doesn't matter who we have in the secondary.

just like I said it means Zip. But my point is that frankly if it comes down to either Bosa or Ramsey I take Ramsey because he will be much more at either position then Bosa will at DE. Bosa is not an elite pass rusher and that is the only kind of DE you take in the top 5.
 

ThoughtExperiment

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Jalen Ramsey could come in and be the best player in the Cowboys secondary
Like that's saying much.

No year could be more perfect to take a QB. A good one will be available and there aren't any Lawrence Taylors or Reggie Whites at other positions anyway.
 

dgfred

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Well, could be not many turnovers because opposing teams stayed away for the most part. If you were playing against them would you try him or maybe try somewhere else? Ramsey is a perfect fit but Cowboys are in this draft position for one major reason = no Romo. The DL has hope of getting better but even with a decent pass rush/etc is the team going to win if Romo goes out again? How much longer will he be able to play? What draft position will the team be in then? Will a possible franchise QB be available then at a lower draft position? I probably would take Ramsey, with a close eye on a QB if I really liked one of them. It would probably take Bosa a yr or two to be a super-effective pass-rusher anyway IMO.

My first post here... take it easy on me :) .
 

dbair1967

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Like that's saying much.

No year could be more perfect to take a QB. A good one will be available and there aren't any Lawrence Taylors or Reggie Whites at other positions anyway.

Lets hope so. I still think there's a decent chance the top two are gone before we pick.

That's why I said a month or so ago that if they are absolutely convinced one of them (or two of them) is a bona fide franchise QB, trading up actually makes sense. There's no guarantee we get one at 4.

I hope Goff, Wentz and Lynch all blow it up at the combine and in private workouts.
 

dbair1967

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Well, could be not many turnovers because opposing teams stayed away for the most part. If you were playing against them would you try him or maybe try somewhere else? Ramsey is a perfect fit but Cowboys are in this draft position for one major reason = no Romo. The DL has hope of getting better but even with a decent pass rush/etc is the team going to win if Romo goes out again? How much longer will he be able to play? What draft position will the team be in then? Will a possible franchise QB be available then at a lower draft position? I probably would take Ramsey, with a close eye on a QB if I really liked one of them. It would probably take Bosa a yr or two to be a super-effective pass-rusher anyway IMO.

My first post here... take it easy on me :) .

Like I said, they had other really good DB's drafted the past couple of years too. he wasn't the only one back there.

They also moved him around quite a bit in their defense, and he still didn't make many plays.
 

dbair1967

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Where do you have 2 QBs going ahead of us?

One's almost assuredly going to Cleveland.

While San Diego recently extended Rivers, he is older and when they originally drafted him they had Drew Brees on their roster too. Then there's the whole potential move to LA thing with them, adding a young QB (particularly if it was local CA product Goff) would help generate buzz. You also cant rule out someone trading up with either TN (which has said they would like to move down already) or San Diego.

It definitely isn't far fetched that two go before we pick, especially if Wentz and Goff both have outstanding workouts and interviews (as expected)
 
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dgfred

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Cleveland yes. SD is going Bosa, Ramsey or Buckner... Rivers is signed thru 2020. Reminds you of another team doesn't it?
 
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