New Orleans Saints right tackle Ryan Ramczyk can add Khalil Mack to the list of elite pass rushers he’s shut down this year. Right tackles weren’t always seen as great pass protectors; in the early days of the NFL, their job was to pave the way for running plays, with the expectation being that opposing teams wanted their best pass rushers coming after quarterbacks from their blind side (often against left tackles).
Of course, the NFL arms race marched on, when defenses wisened up and starting sending those top-shelf pass rushers against less-effective pass blockers on the right side. The end result is Ramczyk drawing weekly matchups against well-known players like Mack with the Chicago Bears, J.J. Watt from the Houston Texans, Jadeveon Clowney of the Seattle Seahawks, and Dallas Cowboys big-talker DeMarcus Lawrence. He hasn’t allowed any of them to sack his quarterback.
The snap-by-snap charting from Pro Football Focus found 19 instances of Mack rushing against Ramczyk during their Week 7 game, and they’ve credited Ramczyk with winning every single snap. He didn’t allow Mack to create any quarterback pressures, or even lose a single battle with Mack on both passing and running downs. It’s as dominant a performance as you’ll see in the NFL.
However, the downside (from a team-building perspective; of course we want everyone to get their money) is that eventually, you have to pay your best players. And Ramczyk certainly fits that bill. Ramczyk is in the third season of his four-year rookie contract, and the Saints have a decision to make next summer on his fifth-year option.
If they choose to pick up his option, Ramczyk will be under contract for New Orleans until March 2022. Considering his high level of play and the affordable value of that option (the number will rise between now and then, but its 2019 equivalent is a little over $12.4 million), it’s an easy decision to make, and gives them plenty of time to work on future salary cap budgeting.
