Even though the Jacksonville Jaguars had a fantastic season, they were the underdogs in the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, they managed to come up with an incredible and deserved 45-42 victory, and cornerback Jalen Ramsey had a clear message after the game. He said: “We are going to the Super Bowl and we are going to win.”
But to reach the Super Bowl first, the Jags will have to beat Tom Brady’s Patriots, which is everything but easy. If the team from Jacksonville pulls that off, the entire Jags team, especially the defense will get most of the credit. Ramsey is a big part of the defensive unit, and before he started his NFL career, he had 63 tackles, 17 pass deflections and four interceptions for Florida State. In the playoffs, he added six more tackles, one deflection, and one interception.
The Cowboys fans are probably wondering whether they should have selected Jalen Ramsey, who went to Jacksonville as the fifth pick, which was one pick after Elliott.
“You can make a strong argument that the Cowboys should take a corner at No. 4, especially considering the skills of Jalen Ramsey,” SportsDay Cowboys insider David Moore said at the time. “Orlando Scandrick … was the team’s best corner in 2013 and ’14. Many fans seem to assume that automatically makes him the team’s best corner in ’16 when he returns. But keep this in mind: Scandrick turned 29 last month and is coming off an injury that kept him out the entire season. Can you really expect him to pick up where he left off in ’14? I’d say no. That makes CB crucial.”
Moore also added: “But unless you project Ramsey as a shutdown corner, I’m not sure you use the No. 4 pick on him. Of the eight cornerbacks to start the last two Super Bowls, only two were taken in the first round. All of the others were taken in the fifth round or later. I believe this is a position where you can get quality players down the line.”
And while back in 2016, Ramsey himself poked on the Cowboys for passing on him, the opinions are divided. Some people believe that there was no mistake. It is simply that kind of a situation when you cannot go wrong. Ezekiel Elliott has been fantastic for Dallas Franchise, but Ramsey would look great as well. The only thing America’s Team might be worried about is that it is a lot harder to find high-quality cornerbacks than running backs. In case they picked up Ramsey, the Cowboys could have acquired a solid running back to fill that spot in the meantime.
No, the Cowboys didn’t make a mistake. Ezekiel Elliott is one of the best running backs in the league, and he is still going to work hard and become even better. In 2016, he was the best player of the squad by far, and he almost brought victory to the Cowboys against the Packers. This season, Elliott was criticized for being suspended and if this guy gets more suspensions in the future, only then can we discuss Ramsey and Elliott’s “real” position in the draft.
Before the draft, The Ticket Sportsradio’s Bob Strum said: “For me, this [Ramsey] is likely the best player in the draft. Position versatility, ability to come in and be the best player in the Cowboys secondary (regardless of which position it might be) and a 21-year old who looks like stardom in the NFL is not far away. Jalen Ramsey sure checks all of the boxes I would look for when you discuss things you are looking for in a Top 5 pick.”
In his rookie season, Elliott led the NFL in rushing for the total of 1,631 yards, whereas this season he averaged 98.3 yards per game. Ramsey also dominated in his rookie season with 44 tackles, 14 pass deflections, a forced fumble and two interceptions one of which he returned for a TD.
What do you think? Should Dallas have selected Ramsey Over Elliott?
