There are frequent debates about the best player at each position in the NFL, but cornerback is a spot that always seems to have a lot of shuffling in the top tier. Darrelle Revis held the title as the league’s best corner for a while, as did Richard Sherman, Patrick Peterson and Stephon Gilmore.
But right now, it’s hard to argue against Jalen Ramsey being the top cornerback in the NFL. After the season he put together in 2020, shutting down everyone from DK Metcalf to DeAndre Hopkins, Ramsey earned first-team All-Pro honors and was widely seen as the premier cover guy in football.
Packers fans have argued that Jaire Alexander was even better, but the versatility and dominance Ramsey displayed was unmatched. Mark Schofield of Touchdown Wire recognized how good Ramsey was last season, ranking him first among the league’s best outside cornerbacks.
Here’s a snippet of what Schofield wrote, but his whole analysis – which includes a film breakdown – is worth checking out.
Ramsey’s varied skill-set allowed Staley to play him on the inside, or on the outside, and/or against any kind of receiving threat. You might see him matched against tight ends, big-bodied wide receivers, or even shifty slot receivers. With his movement skills and technique, Ramsey can cover them all.
According to Pro Football Reference, Ramsey allowed just 345 yards and two touchdowns in coverage last season – all while covering some of the top receivers in the league. Quarterbacks completed 36 of 71 passes thrown his way, with a passer rating of only 68.1.
Ramsey didn’t just line up outside, either. He played more in the slot last season than he typically has in the past, which earned him the honor of being the fifth-best slot defender in football, per Doug Farrar’s rankings at Touchdown Wire.
When it comes to all-around defenders in the secondary, it doesn’t get much better than Ramsey. And to realize just how good the Rams’ cornerback tandem is, Darious Williams was ranked as the 10th-best outside corner by Schofield.
