As he enters his age-31 season, there’s a question of where Jalen Ramsey fits best defensively for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Is that at outside cornerback at his age? Or would he be best served sticking inside in the slot as a big nickel? What about free safety to help fill the void created by trading Minkah Fitzpatrick?
Those questions will be answered during training camp in Latrobe, but one thing is clear: Ramsey handle all of those roles if called upon.
That alone makes him one of the NFL’s most versatile pieces, according to Ted Nguyen. In a piece for The Athletic Wednesday morning, Ramsey was named one of the 10 most versatile players in the league, and was one of just three defensive backs along with Baltimore’s Kyle Hamilton and Detroit’s Brian Branch.
“Ramsey’s age shows against some of the league’s shiftier route runners when he plays outside corner. He may be able to play primarily outside in a zone-heavy system, but in a man-heavy system like the Steelers’, Ramsey will likely return to play a lot of nickel, which he’s excelled at with the Rams,” Nguyen writes. “He could play some free safety, where he could shine due to his football IQ and physicality. There’s a chance Ramsey could be the best player for the Steelers’ secondary, regardless of what position he plays. At outside corner, he’s better than Darius Slay at his point.
“Joey Porter Jr. could take the next step, but right now, Ramsey is better than him.”
Though he is 31 years old, he still remains a very good defensive piece. The Steelers certainly believe that, too, feeling comfortable enough to trade Fitzpatrick, shaking up the locker room and the defense in the process.
Known more as an outside cornerback in his career, Ramsey has shown he can play in the slot at a high level, too. That was his role in Los Angeles, where he helped the Rams win the Super Bowl in 2021. Now, he could slide back into the slot at a higher rate as the Steelers look to throw different looks at opposing offenses.
In his career, Ramsey has played 1,235 snaps in the slot, according to Pro Football Focus. Last season in Miami, he played 185 snaps in the slot, so the experience and the ability are still there.
Outside, Ramsey has logged6,387 snaps in his career, so the experience on the outside far outweighs the experience on the inside. He also has just 125 career snaps at free safety. But with his football IQ, experience, and physicality, Ramsey has shown time and time again he can move around.
“He’s by far their best nickel, and though the Steelers have experienced starters at safety, Ramsey could theoretically be a star at the position if he makes the transition,” Nguyen added.
It will be very interesting to see what the Steelers decide to do with the seven-time Pro Bowler. They clearly coveted him once it became clear he was on the trade block. Head coach Mike Tomlin has admired Ramsey far afar his entire career, and now he has his hands on him from a coaching aspect.
Hopefully the Steelers move him around as much as possible, taking advantage of that versatility, rather than placing him in one spot and leaving him there, much like they did with Fitzpatrick in recent years, hindering his ability to create splash plays.
