Who is the Best Player in the 2016 NFL Draft?
With Day 1 of the 2016 NFL Draft just over a month away and the Tennessee Titans on the clock, the big question is, who is the best player on the board? There have been a handful of names thrown out there.
Initially defensive end Joey Bosa out of Ohio State was the consensus favorite, however, that narrative has shifted. Now, Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil seems to have taken his spot at the top of draft boards. With that said, after thorough film analysis as well as in depth research, I’ve come to a different conclusion. The best player in this year’s draft is Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey.
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Ramsey is without a doubt the most gifted high-end pure athlete in this draft. There may be some great athletes in later rounds, but they lack the value or football skills of Ramsey. It’s safe to call him the best defensive back prospect since Patrick Peterson in 2011.
This kind of slam-dunk talent at this position is rare- guys like Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu and Sean Taylor come to mind. Ramsey combines a long, physical frame with exceptional speed and acceleration. Just as impressive as his speed is his agility; his ability to move laterally and change directions is uncanny. He also excelled as a track star winning the ACC long jump title (26-1.5) at the 2015 outdoor and indoor championships.
The most intriguing aspect of his game may be his versatility. Ramsey has experience as an outside corner, nickel, safety and even some linebacker. His long arms allow to thrive in press coverage, nevertheless, he’s also excellent at reading a quarterback, which makes him a tremendous option in a zone scheme as well.
When he gets the ball in his hand he has return man type skills, he actually averaged 27.0 yards per kick return and is a fantastic gunner on special teams. Although, I’m not so sure any team is going to want to utilize their top-five overall pick as a gunner for very long. His tackling skills are superb though as is his ability to come off the edge if needed. As a matter of fact, he was second on his team with 9.5 tackles for loss in 2014.
On top of his ability to make tackles, he also led the team in pass defenses in both 2014 and 2015. The one knock on him may be his hands. Ramsey does not have elite hands like we’ve seen in the past by guys like Ed Reed and Deion Sanders.
However, he still loves to bait quarterbacks and jump routes but managed just three interceptions during his 41 game NCAA career. He did manage to sack the quarterback five times though and take part in six fumbles (two recoveries, four forced). Those 41 games were the only ones he was eligible to play in too, he never missed a single game at Florida State.
It’s unclear what position he will play in the pros. The most likely scenario is a safety/corner hybrid like the Honey Badger in Arizona. Ramsey will likely be more impactful as a nickel, but the investment may cause teams to want to force him outside. Personally, I’d allow him to play a center field type position much like Ed Reed did for the Ravens while also allowing him to step up in the box.
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He’s a new kind of athlete and hopefully where ever he lands, the coaching staff in place is savvy enough to utilize him as such and take full advantage of his versatility. There is no reason to confide him in a box. Move him around and let him reach his full potential. Obviously, we don’t know who will draft Ramsey, nonetheless, who ever does snag him will be getting the most gifted player in the 2016 NFL Draft.