The Pittsburgh Steelers are not planning to move new cornerback Jalen Ramsey to safety unless it is an emergency, according to Steelers insider Mark Kaboly.
Kaboly says Ramsey will play outside and slot cornerback, and be used as a sub-package chess piece. However, he will not play full-time as a true safety this season.
“First of all, you’re not paying $26 million to a safety who’s never played there before,” Kaboly said on his podcast, Kaboly + Mack. “You’re pretty much sure that he’s going to be an inside, outside cornerback. It’s all going to be determined by what they call scheme-wise. I would say Ramsey is in the slot more than outside.”
Ramsey is 30 and will turn 31 during the season, but is still a high-level athlete who can play multiple positions for the Steelers across their secondary.
The Steelers reportedly saw some shades of Rod Woodson in Ramsey’s game, which is part of why they traded for him. Woodson played his first 12 NFL seasons at cornerback before switching to safety, becoming an All-Pro at that position.
“This is a case-by-case situation where a player like Jalen Ramsey happened to be available where they feel like he gives them more flexibility than what they had with Minkah Fitzpatrick,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said on Get Up. “He can play slot cornerback, can play safety, if you need him to do that. They see shades of Rod Woodson.”
In the past, Ramsey has said that he would move to safety later in his career if asked and believes that he can thrive defensively in that role.
“I wouldn’t have any problems moving to safety,” Ramsey said back in 2021.
Ramsey’s versatility will allow the Steelers to have Joey Porter Jr., Darius Slay, and the multiple-time All-Pro to all be on the field simultaneously in a way they could not execute beforehand.
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