In 8 seasons, Jalen Ramsey has been a top-tier CB, and despite approaching 30 years old, he still has not lost a step. He has only a few negative plays on the season, none of which amounted to any real damage, and overall, he has been a lockdown defender for the Miami Dolphins, in man and zone coverage, along with run defense.

Miami Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey Film Breakdown

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Disclaimer: The following is a transcript of a YouTube video titled “Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey is Still ELITE in Year 8: Film Breakdown” The content is for informational purposes only and was originally presented in video format.

The Jalen Ramsey trade is already paying dividends for the Dolphins. This is looking like exactly the addition they needed to really take this defense over the top. He's only played three games, but he's done a lot more in those snaps than a lot of cornerbacks have done all season. Three interceptions, including two in week 11. Through the first two games, he wasn't really tested that often. 

The Las Vegas Raiders decided that he was the guy they wanted to target on Miami's defense. And it resulted in a hilarious stat line, 10 targets, one reception for four yards. I'll put his career stats up on screen; FI is forced incompletions and the colors go red, yellow, green, blue, in order of percentile of all corners from the last seven years. Now, small sample size for 2023, but it looks like he's going to be adding another season onto what I think is probably going to be a Hall of Fame career. 

He's a player that historically has maybe given up more yards than a lot of elite corners, but he's in so many vulnerable situations. Every team that he's been on basically trusts him one on one on an island. They don't give him any help, and if you play man coverage cornerback in the NFL, you're going to get beat. But I think when you look at longevity seven years and counting being a top 15 corner at worst every season, it's just rare to see that kind of consistency at the cornerback position.

So getting into the film, anytime you've got a receiver or a corner especially that's approaching their 30s, unfortunately you've got to be on watch for age regression. That drop off in athleticism hits like a train, and it's pretty unforgiving. But watching Jalen Ramsey's tape, I don't think he's lost a step at all. This first interception from Week 11. They're in quarters coverage, so if Ramsey's receiver releases vertically, It's basically just off man. He's playing over the top with outside leverage. Trey Tucker breaks inside on a dig route. 

Ramsey makes an incredible play to dive into the passing window, get an interception. Now watching this play, I just cannot figure out why Tre Tucker would cut his route off here. You've got a clear out scene that's occupying the safety. Underneath route from Josh Jacobs is holding the hook defender. There's wide open space in the middle of the field for him to just continue this route. He's got a couple steps of inside leverage. If he just continued this route, it would probably be a completion. 

But Aiden O'Connell seems to be on the same page as him, throws this on the outside shoulder. I guess they were just assuming that Jalen Ramsey wouldn't carry this across the field. Either way just an incredible display of athleticism and ball skills and great timing for this interception. Right here they're gonna target him on a flea flicker. Davante Adams slow plays this release. Adams works over the top and stacks them early in the rep, but Jalen Ramsey keeps up with him step for step. A perfectly thrown pass could have been a completion here, but just from the standpoint of evaluating his speed, it's good to see him keeping up with Davante Adams down the field.

For the game, Davante Adams had five targets against Jalen Ramsey, one catch for four yards. Tight to this crossing route, blankets him down the field. Right here he's playing with a ton of cushions, so they're just going to hit Devontae Adams on a speed out, Adams bobbles the pass initially, but Ramsey has good acceleration to close that distance, finishes the incompletion. And then last defensive play for Miami, kind of a desperation throw here, there isn't really anything open. Tre Tucker's running this deep post, Ramsey stays outside of it, cause he's got help from the backside safety. AOC lofts it up, and another really athletic play to get the interception and seal the game.

And then on this play, Jakobi Meyers tries to shake him at the line of scrimmage, fake the inside release. Ramsey doesn't bites at all, smooth footwork to get back over the top of this route almost gets another interception. And really through the first three games, I think Jalen Ramsey has played extremely tight single man coverage. The Vic Fangio defense is obviously a lot of quarters, which is traditionally an off coverage, but a lot of times you'll have what's called a Meg call, which is man everywhere he goes on the single receiver side and having a corner like Jalen Ramsey that can just play lockdown press man is really valuable because it allows you to devote coverage resources to the other side of the field. 

And they gave him a lot more press man opportunities in week 11, which is probably why he got targeted a lot more. But in the first two games when he was playing mostly off, I thought he did a really good job, especially on curl routes, just playing them really tight. The fluidity and change of direction skills are absolutely still there. But then you're also getting a player with really good zone coverage instincts. Right here. The New England Patriots are running a go route from the one, a wheel route from the two, and then a fake swing from across the formation. 

Ramsey initially carries one vertical which leaves the opening for this hole shot but he passes it off to the safety. Gets his first interception. And he's historically been one of the best run defending corners in the NFL. Right here you've got a wide open misdirection run to the left. DeShon Elliott gets hung up on this block. Jalen Ramsey's the last line of defense. He comes up, makes the tackle, forces the fumble, but the Dolphins aren't able to recover. And when you're playing a lot of deep match coverage like the Dolphins are gonna be doing, it's really important that your defensive backs are able to fit the run. 

I have no concerns about Jalen Ramsey's ability to do that. Really only a few negative plays from the first three weeks. The one catch for four yards that he did give up to Davante Adams, he was able to get his hips turned around. That's something I have noticed from a limited sample size. He does seem kinda eager to declare his hips a little bit too early O'Connell's late getting it to him, so he has time to recover, and it only goes for four yards, but something to monitor. 

And then Davante beat him on this double move, but O'Connell overthrew him, so it didn't show up on the stat sheet. And then he had an illegal contact penalty on Rasheed Rice, playing press man, gets his hand on the helmet. But the play ends up going for a touchdown, so it got declined. But Jalen Ramsey seems to be at full strength, and he's going to be a key piece as the Dolphins gear up for a Super Bowl run.

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