In Jalen Ramsey, the Steelers have one of the most versatile defensive backs in the league—or so they hope. Former NFL GM Doug Whaley isn’t so sure and recently proposed a way for opponents to attack him. Presuming Ramsey will play a lot in the slot, he believes teams will go after him there…because he’s tall.
Appearing on 93.7 The Fan, he weighed in, and you can judge the soundness of his logic yourself. “This is where I struggle with Jalen Ramsey, because he’s tall. Guys that are quick, and especially in that slot, they’re gonna be moving, and have a two-way go against a guy whose game is predicated on length”.
While it’s true that as a bigger cornerback Ramsey exploits his size to his matchup advantage, it is oversimplistic to imply that he relies upon it. The reality is he has played in the slot for most of his NFL career, to varying degrees. He did not have his best season last year, though, allowing 12 receptions on 13 targets in the slot for 163 yards—97 yards after the catch—via Pro Football Focus. In 2022, he allowed 13 receptions on 22 targets for 170 yards with one touchdown and one interception. On 40 targets in 2021, he allowed 28 catches but for only 195 yards and no touchdowns, one interception.
Whaley seems convinced that teams will feast on Jalen Ramsey in the slot, but that seems an exaggeration. He said that even if the Steelers make it his full-time job, he won’t stand to improve much. “Who’s he practicing against in the Steelers? You’re talking about Calvin Austin”.
Between Jalen Ramsey, Joey Porter Jr., and Darius Slay, Ramsey would be the most comfortable playing in the slot. And Doug Whaley sees even that as a part of the problem. “They have long, lengthy guys that need to press and get their hands on you. As an offensive coordinator, I’m going even 10 personnel and having two slot guys”, he said. “That’s how I would attack the Steelers now”.
He even went so far as to suggest that teams like the Chiefs and Ravens, who have speedy slot receivers, should check into 11 personnel. “I’d make sure, if Jalen Ramsey’s in the slot, two-way go, boom”. There is no history of teams exploiting Ramsey when he lines up in the slot, though.
And over the course of his career, Ramsey has played more than 1,000 snaps lined up in slot coverage. He has frequently expressed a desire for teams to allow him to do more things, not just play outside. That doesn’t necessarily mean he would serve teams best in a more diverse role. But Whaley’s claim that extended slot duty would expose him doesn’t seem based on much more than “but he’s tall”.
