NFL
Is Jalen Ramsey Good Anymore?
Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined Sportscasting in 2021. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL and soccer landscape, as well as his expertise breaking down sports media, which stems from his many years downloading podcasts before they were even cool and countless hours spent listening to Mike & The Mad Dog and The Dan Patrick Show, among other programs. As a longtime self-professed sports junkie who even played DII lacrosse at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, Tim loves reading about all the latest sports news every day and considers it a dream to write about sports professionally. He's a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York who mistakenly thought, back in the early '90s, that his team would be in the Super Bowl every year. He started following European soccer — with a Manchester City focus — in the early 2000s after spending far too much time playing FIFA. When he's not enjoying a round of golf or coaching youth soccer and flag football, Tim likes reading the work of Bill Simmons, Tony Kornheiser, Chuck Klosterman, and Tom Wolfe.
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The Miami Dolphins traded with the Los Angeles Rams for six-time Pro Bowl and three-time All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey. And while the player moving comes with an impressive resume, he didn’t bring back a big haul for his previous team. The Jalen Ramsey trade sent the CD to Miami for a 2023 third-round pick and little-used tight end Hunter Long. That small haul in this Dolphins-Rams trade begs the question, is Jalen Ramsey good anymore?
Jalen Ramsey has been one of the best CBs in the NFL
There is no question that Jalen Ramsey was one of the best CBs in the NFL for a long period.
He finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting (to Joey Bosa) in 2016 and made the Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro in his second season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Since that second season, Ramsey also made the 2020 and 2021 All-Pro teams and the Pro Bowl every season.
Ramsey was so good in 2019 that the Rams sent two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder to the Jaguars just before Ramsey’s 25th birthday.
The move paid off for the Rams with a Super Bowl in 2021.
To this point, Ramsey has 92 passed defended and 19 interceptions in his career. However, after a brutal 5-12 season, the CB wanted out, and the team wanted off the Jalen Ramsey contract.
But after the Dolphins-Rams trade only returned a third-rounder and a TE with one career catch for eight yards, is Jalen Ramsey good anymore?
Is Jalen Ramsey still good?
Well, 2022 was by far Ramsey’s worst season.
Looking at his simple counting stats, it seems as though Ramsey had a good season. His 88 tackles were a career-high, his four interceptions led the team, and his 18 passes defended was second in the NFL, behind only Sauce Gardner’s 20.
However, a deeper dive is more concerning.
In Week 1, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen targeted Ramsey seven times, and the Rams CB allowed six receptions, 124 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns, and a perfect 158.3 passer rating for Allen.
Ramsey allowed a career-high seven touchdowns in coverage, and during the season, he was allowing a completion percentage of 68.7% as the nearest defender, per ESPN, which was the 10th-highest rate in the league.
Despite all that, he finished the season as the third-highest-rated CB in the league, according to PFF, behind only Gardner and Patrick Surtain II.
So, is Jalen Ramsey good anymore? The answer is yes.
Much of Ramsey’s problem was that without Von Miller and other defensive players from the Rams Super Bowl team, he was out on an island defending against QBs with tons of time to throw. And while he struggled at times, he was still excellent at times when motivated.
The Jalen Ramsey trade might end up as a bad move for the Dolphins for other reasons — like the contract extension they will have to give him at 29 — but to the “is Jalen Ramsey still good?” camp, the reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated.
The Dolphins defense is legit
The biggest takeaway from the Jalen Ramsey trade is that the Dolphins defense is now incredibly dangerous heading into 2023.
Miami was the No. 9 scoring defense in the NFL in 2022, and they are only getting better.
The Dolphins-Rams trade pairs Ramsey with All-Pro corner Xavien Howard, giving the Dolphins the best 1-2 CB pairing in the league heading into 2023. Safety Jevon Holland is a budding young star, and the team might still add Jordan Poyer in free agency.
Pass-rushing linebackers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips are an incredible combination and one that is only getting better as Phillips develops heading into his third season. And defensive tackle Christian Wilkins is a force in the middle.
This gives the Dolphins a fearsome D, which they will need in the AFC East. Allen and the Bills are already an offensive powerhouse, and if the Jets get Aaron Rodgers, they could be, too.
Miami’s Super Bowl chances ultimately come down to the quarterback position. Will Tua Tagovailoa be able to avoid more career-threatening concussions? And if not, does the team have a better backup plan than last season?
If so, the defense can carry the team over the hump and absolutely make the Big Game next season.
