Baltimore Ravens Draft Prospect: Florida State DB Jalen Ramsey
By Joe Serpico
The Baltimore Ravens have their eyes on Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey. So do many of the team’s drafting ahead of them.
The Ravens have been missing a playmaker in the back end of the secondary since Ed Reed left the team after their 2012 championship season. They finished last in interceptions last season and the safeties struggled for most of the season.
Jalen Ramsey is arguably the closest player to Reed to come out of the collegiate ranks in recent memory. It’s not often that a safety is considered the top prospect in the draft, but many scouts think Ramsey will be a superstar in the NFL.
Ramsey put on a show at the NFL Combine which cemented himself in the top five picks of the 2016 NFL Draft. At 6-foot-1 and 209 pounds, he has the size, speed and strength you want from a safety.
Ramsey is not just a football player, but a world-class athlete. In addition to being named an All-American in football in 2014 and 2015, he was an All-American long jumper at FSU as well. He has said that one day he hopes to compete in the Olympics, a feat we have also seen from Marquise Goodwin of the Buffalo Bills.
Many might say the Ravens do not necessarily need Ramsey with the addition of Eric Weddle and Lardarius Webb making the shift to safety. Both players are over 30 and the Ravens aren’t tied to Webb long-term. Webb could be released next season for a cap hit of $2 million, and the Ravens have been willing to eat some dead cap space in recent years.
Ramsey could come in and instantly bring some playmaking ability to a secondary that desperately needs it. Our friends over at NFL Mocks had the perfect description of what to expect from Ramsey at the next level:
“Ramsey has the potential and the ability to be the best safety in football for a long time. He has Brian Dawkins like intensity with Ed Reed like talent at safety, that is someone I would consider taking in the top five.”
That’s the kind of player the Ravens could use.
The likelihood of Ramsey being available at No. 6 is not high for Baltimore, despite the trade between the Tennesee Titans and Los Angeles Rams helping the Ravens. They would likely need to trade up to land this year’s top talent.
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Everyone wants a player like Ramsey and one lucky team will get their man. If the Ravens somehow ended up with him, they will have the steal of the draft.