Florida State defensive back and likely top pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Jalen Ramsey, has been forced to make the move from safety, where he excelled over the past couple of seasons, to cornerback after the Seminoles lost last season's starters Ronald Darby and P.J. Williams to the bright lights of the professional stage. Ramsey turned himself into an elite player on FSU's backend during a sophomore year that saw him collect 80 tackles - 10 for loss - three sacks, two interceptions and 12 passes defensed. Despite his breakout campaign, Ramsey, likely to make the jump to the NFL himself after the year, is now honing his cover skills at corner. While Ramsey possesses the requisite ability to make the move, it seems, per a report from Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com, that NFL teams still view Ramsey's best NFL position as safety.
Per Campbell, NFL scouts and personnel men believe that as a safety, Ramsey is a "special athlete" and "very good NFL prospect." At corner, these scouts believe Ramsey's skill set could be useful to some teams like the Seattle Seahawks, but that his tools as at corner - at least at this point - are too scheme and team-specific, while his safety skills will appeal to any number of organizations.
"They say that he is about 6-foot tall but has the arm length of a player who is 6-4 or 6-5," Campbell reports. "They say that makes him a valuable commodity to matchup against receiving tight ends. Scouts also love his awareness and instincts as a safety with the ability to make big plays in pass coverage or as a blitzer. They like Ramsey's ball skills and ability to tackle. Overall, Ramsey's 2014 tape was very impressive, and they love his potential as a starting safety in the NFL."
Of course, Ramsey could put all of this speculation to rest by showing out during the season. The Seminoles were paced defensively by a very strong secondary last season - if Ramsey can be a key cog for a group that remains elite despite losing both Darby and Williams this offseason, it'll go a long way toward boosting his draft stock. And really, with the proliferation of explosive passing offenses in the NFL, the need for safeties able to drop down and cover receivers out of the slot is increasing ten-fold, meaning Ramsey's move is likely not only good for the Seminoles, but good for his NFL future, whether it be at corner or safety, as well.
