From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on USC S Kamari Ramsey.
No. 7 Kamari Ramsey/S, USC, 6000, 205 pounds (Fourth-year Junior)
Measurements
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Kamari Ramsey 6000/205 N/A N/A N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
N/A N/A N/A
The Good
– Experience playing nickel and safety
– Fluid and smooth movements
– Loose hips allow him to change direction without loss of movement
– Crisp and pristine back pedal let him maintain leverage against vertical threats
– Plays “eyes-up” tracking the quarterback progressions and maintaining awareness of route concepts
– Quick trigger to break on the ball in coverage
– Capable of staying “in phase” with his footwork and balance
– Demonstrates range to play as half-field safety or single high
– Stretches out offensive plays by baiting quarterbacks and forcing hesitation
– Heavy hitter at point of contact
The Bad
– Gives up separation in pure 1-vs.-1 matchups
– Inconsistent tackling fundamentals; prone to dropping his eyes when going for the big hit
– Instances occurred where he appeared lazy or unwilling to make a play on a ball carrier
– Struggles with patience in zone coverage by vacating his responsibilities too early
– Demonstrates issues with tracking the ball in the air despite having good positioning
– Has a slender frame that causes issues against bigger matchups
Stats
– 2025 stats: 27 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 2 pass deflections
– Career stats: 133 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 11 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles
– USC career stats: 87 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks 1 interception, 7 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles, 20 games played
– UCLA career stats: 46 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 4 pass deflections, 15 games played
– Played in 35 career games
Injury History
– Dealt with an undisclosed injury suffered against Arizona that caused him to miss a game (2023)
– Suffered an injury against Maryland that forced him to miss two games (2024)
– Missed game vs. Illinois with food poisoning (2025)
– Suffered right knee injury vs. Iowa that forced him to miss the final three games (2025)
Background
– Born Aug. 24, 2004 (21 years old)
– 4-star recruit who originally committed to Stanford due to its academic prestige
– Noted as an academic/athletic powerhouse with a 3.7 GPA
– Flipped to UCLA to be closer to home
– Named a Polynesian All-Star during his senior season
– Traveled two hours every day to go from Palmdale to Sierra Canyon High School
– Candidate for Lott IMPACT Trophy for character on and off the field (2025)
– All Big-Ten honorable mention (2024)
– Academic Honor Roll (2023)
– Did a promotion with Raising Cane’s
– Provided community service with USC teammates to serve food to families in need
– Grew up an Eagles fan
Tape Breakdown
A coverage specialist on the back end, Ramsey did it all for the Trojans. He was their defensive signal caller for good reason. He’s twitchy with the ability to change direction and flip movements seamlessly. Ramsey has played as a center fielder, where he possesses good range, but his speed is more evident in his split-safety role. Responsibility for half the field allows him to play more freely and display his silky-smooth movement at the back end.
His fluidity in coverage raises his potential as a starter. What separates Ramsey and gives him sky-high potential is his ability to close on the ball. He can do it from a back pedal or a standstill. There’s a lightning-quick trigger that allows him to erase the space between him and the target.
Due to injuries, Ramsey was forced to play more in the slot this past season. Although his future best aligns with playing deep, he demonstrated the ability to play closer to the line of scrimmage and cover from the slot. Much of his success stems from his ability to recover.
His movement allows him to stay aligned with the receiver, and he possesses the necessary speed to recover when initially beaten.
As a tackler, Ramsey is aggressive but inconsistent. He is someone more likely to deliver a big hit than make a secure tackle. His initial contact is dictated by his explosive movement. His ability to accelerate quickly results in greater contact upon impact.
To reach his ceiling, he needs to continue refining his tackling form to make it more consistent.
Conclusion
Ramsey is a versatile chess piece on the back end of the defense. His experience playing as a half-field and single-high safety, with time as a nickel corner, will be valuable to his defensive coordinator. He’s a smooth and fluid athlete who is highly reactive in coverage, and his quickness to break on the ball makes him dangerous to test. On Day 1, he will add an athletic coverage specialist to a secondary with potential to grow into an eraser.
As a prospect, he shows a lot of similarities to Xavier McKinney. They’re both fluid movers on the back end who are aggressive in their coverage responsibilities. McKinney is far more developed in playing the ball and as a tackler, but there is a path for Ramsey to reach that level. He will need to hone his coverage and tackling consistency, but these are teachable flaws that should improve with experience.
Ideally, Ramsey lands with a defense that lets him thrive as a half-field safety. Although he has demonstrated the capability to play as a center fielder, his effectiveness would skyrocket if he focused on eliminating one side of the field. The ideal fit would also deploy a scheme that rolls safeties from deep shells into the slot. It’s imperative to maximize what he’s best at, namely, his fluidity in coverage to match up against slot receivers.
NFL Draft Projection: Early – Mid-Day 2
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 8.7 MED (Long-term Starter)
Grade Range: 8.3 – 8.8
Games Watched: vs. LSU (2024), vs. Wisconsin (2024), @ Maryland (2024), @ Notre Dame (2025), vs. Iowa (2025)
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