2016 NFL Draft Profile: Jalen Ramsey, S Florida State

Safeties aren’t usually top-10 picks in the NFL Draft, but Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey could be an exception to that. Should the Minnesota Vikings get him?

It’s a rare thing to see a safety be one of the top prospects in the NFL Draft. For a player at that position to be considered as an early pick, they have to be something special and show a level of talent that other players at the position lack.

Florida State safety Jalen Ramsey is that guy. He is physical, athletic, strong, and fast. He has long arms and good jumping ability to go with a big frame, allowing him to cover both fast and tall pass catchers. Not only that, but he is slippery. He slides Ramsey slides off blocks to get to the ball carrier, where he securely brings his target to the ground on a regular basis.

The only area where Ramsey could use improvement is agility. He needs to be able to change direction more fluidly and adjust to changes in routes better. Sometimes giving up too much space early in pass coverage, quarterbacks learned to take advantage of his cushion and dump off early passes against him. Still, these are all things that NFL teams that draft him can work on.

Here are Florida State safety Jalen Ramsey’s numbers from the events at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine according to NFL.com:

Oct 10, 2015; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State player Jalen Ramsey has a laugh between plays as Florida State beats Miami 29-24 at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Beil-USA TODAY Sports /

Height: 6’1″

Weight: 209 pounds

Arm Length: 33 3/8″

Hand Size: 9 1/2″

40 Yard Dash: 4.41 seconds

Bench Press: 14 reps

Vertical Jump: 41.5″

Broad Jump: 135″

3 Cone Drill: 6.94 seconds

20 Yard Shuttle: 4.18 seconds

60 Yard Shuttle: 11.10 seconds

Jalen Ramsey compares to:

CBS Sports: Tyrann Mathieu, Cardinals
NFL.com: Sean Smith, Raiders

Fit for the Minnesota Vikings:

Oh boy. Combining a guy like Jalen Ramsey with Harrison Smith in the Vikings secondary would be a dream come true for many Minnesota fans. With some minor improvements in Ramsey’s coverage skills, Minnesota would have one of the most intimidating young safety duos in the NFL.

Next: 5 WR options for the Vikings in the 2016 NFL Draft

My Take:

There’s a chance Ramsey will slide down the draft charts if teams don’t value the safety position. This would be ideal for the Minnesota Vikings, as if he is somehow available at #23 overall, the team should draft him immediately. Even if Minnesota had to trade up a couple of spots to get him, it would be worth it, despite picking up Michael Griffin in free agency.

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