Former NFL general manager Doug Whaley says he ‘struggles’ with players like Jalen Ramsey moving to slot cornerback. The new Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback is expected to spend a lot of his time there.
Whaley says Ramsey’s skillset is a dynamite one and has lots of upside, but against quicker players, it could give him trouble in the tight quarters of the slot position.
“This is where I struggle with guys like him, Jalen Ramsey, because he’s tall,” Whaley said on 93.7 the Fan. “Guys that are quick, and especially in that slot, they’re gonna be moving, and have a two-way go against a guy whose game is predicated on length. They have long, lengthy guys that need to press and get their hands on you. As an offensive coordinator, I’m going even 10 personnel and having two slot guys. That’s how I would attack the Steelers now.”
Ramsey is 6-foot-1 and a taller slot cornerback, though he has excelled there and outside over the years. The Steelers will use that versatility to become the crux of their new-look defense.
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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