There is an elite group of cornerbacks in the NFL today who young defensive backs often watch and take tips from. Jalen Ramsey might be the best of the best, proving to be an absolute playmaker and shutdown cornerback in the secondary.
Rams fourth-round pick Robert Rochell is joining a defense that features Ramsey and he’s very familiar with the All-Pro’s game. Rochell told reporters after he was drafted by L.A. that he models his game after Ramsey and looks up to him.
“He’s a guy that I modeled my game after. He’s a guy that I love watching,” Rochell said. “He’s a guy who I really look up to in ways of playing cornerback. I just recently changed to the position. He definitely one of the guys I picked up on. Same kind of body style, same type of attitude about football. He’s a guy that I’m ready to get beside of and work and learn from.”
Rochell isn’t quite as big as Ramsey, but he’s got good size at 6-foot and 193 pounds with 32.5-inch arms. At the combine in 2016, Ramsey weighed in at 6-foot-1 and 209 pounds with 33 3/8-inch arms, so he carries more length and weight than the incoming rookie.
But both players are aggressive in coverage, consistently make plays on the ball and are rare athletes. Ramsey ran a 4.41 in the 40 and jumped 41.5 inches in the vertical, while Rochell ran a 4.39 and jumped 43 inches.
With Rochell joining the mix, the Rams now have some real athleticism in the secondary, which should make it difficult for quarterbacks to attack their defense.
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