Jalen Ramsey is listed as a cornerback, and he’s one of the NFL’s best at his position. However, it sounds like he’ll be viewed as much more than just a cornerback in 2020 – his first full season with the Rams.
He and defensive coordinator Brandon Staley have hinted at a brand new role for the three-time Pro Bowler, and this week, Ramsey shared further details about what position he’ll play.
“I don’t really have like an exact, exact role on the defense yet,” he said on a conference call Tuesday. “I’ll be doing a bunch of different things so there’s not really somebody that I can talk to that’s like, ‘Oh, you did this and this and this…’ because nobody’s done what I’ll be asked to do or what I’m going to try to do on this defense. I might have to take this journey kind of by myself and with my teammates and with the coaches and see where we can take it.”
Ramsey is a prototypical cornerback in the fact that he has a rare combination of size and speed for the position. He’s one of the most athletic corners in the league, and thanks to his time in college, he also has experience at safety.
Staley mentioned Ramsey’s ability to play safety earlier this offseason, so he could see time there in certain sub-packages. When shadowing receivers in the past, Ramsey has also covered the slot and had some success there.
He was asked if it’ll be a challenge moving around and playing different roles, and he wasn’t afraid to admit it’ll be tough.
“For sure, yeah. For sure,” he said.
Even Les Snead hinted at Staley using Ramsey in a variety of ways.
“I think with Jalen, he’s a young player, a difference-maker out on the edge. Even working with Brandon based on being around Jalen, I think Brandon’s mentioned it, with his football acumen,” Snead said. “There’s a vision and goal to use to him in a way that’s never been used before, to be a weapon on defense.”
It’s hard not to get excited about Ramsey’s potential in the Rams defense, especially entering a new scheme under Staley. And with this being the final year of his contract, Ramsey has every reason to be motivated if he doesn’t get a deal before Week 1.