It's still early in the 2016 NFL Draft process. The rookie scouting combine comes later this month in Indianapolis and there will be plenty of Pro Days and other workouts in between now and the draft in late April. But that doesn't mean teams across the league don't already have some favorites picked out. And Dallas Cowboys fans will be interested to know that Jerry and Stephen Jones and Co. have versatile Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey rated very highly. In fact, according to Tony Pauline of Draft Insider, Ramsey is the No. 1 player on the Cowboys draft board at this point.
There are expectations that Ramsey will "win" the combine thanks to his elite and explosive athleticism.
"Some scouts on the road think he's overrated and some think he's the next Richard Sherman. We all agree that he's going to win the combine and that (Mike) Mayock won't stop talking about him," an NFC director of football operations said of Ramsey, per NFL.com's Lance Zeirlein.
Ramsey's scheme versatility is a selling point, but as Zeirlein notes, it also brings questions of just where Ramsey's NFL home would or should be. Per Zeirlein, most of the NFL personnel men he's spoken to regarding the Seminole view him as a future safety.
For the Cowboys, Ramsey would be an interesting choice considering they spent last year's first-round pick on Byron Jones, a similarly talented and versatile defensive back out of UConn. Jones, like Ramsey, is an athletic marvel who used an astounding combine performance to rocket himself up draft boards, eventually landing with Dallas at pick 27.
Ramsey, coming from FSU, doesn't need any help going in the top five or ten selections come the spring, but he could certainly cement himself as one of the top prospects set to enter the league by blowing the other corners and safeties out of the water in Indy.
Then again, that could potentially work against the Cowboys chances of actually landing Ramsey. Per Pauline, NFL executives believe Ramsey is likely to go at No. 2 overall, sandwiched between Ole Miss' Laremy Tunsil and Cal's Jared Goff. Sitting at No. 4 in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft - directly behind a safety-needy team like the San Diego Chargers - the Jones' may have to work some draft day magic if they're still intent on landing Ramsey.
