20. Jalen Ramsey

Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

Position: CB

Experience: 3 Years

In this league, confidence goes a long way. Despite his youth, Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey might be the most confident player in the entire NFL. The assuredness that he is the best player at his position didn’t just begin in the league, it’s a belief that’s fueled Ramsey through every level of football he’s ever played. It’s not a quiet confidence either, he will let anyone within hearing distance know how he feels about his skills. In an era of subtweets and burner accounts, Ramsey isn’t afraid to attach his name to anything he says. He also goes out on the field and backs up every single word.

Although he hasn’t been in the NFL for long, Ramsey has quickly made an impact. Much like Darrelle Revis and Richard Sherman before him, Ramsey’s skillset allows for him to completely shutdown one side of the football field. He’s not just a great football player, he’s also a freak athletically. At the 2016 NFL Combine he ran a 4.41 40-yard dash, jumped 41.5 inches on his vertical leap, and recorded a broad jump of 135 inches. Combined with physical measurements (6’1” and 208 pounds) and you have the makings of a perfect corner in the modern NFL.

In three seasons Ramsey has started every single game. 2017 was his breakout year. He was part of the reason that the Jaguars had the best defense in the league that year. He pulled in a career-high four interceptions and was named First-Team All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl. Though Jacksonville was unable to repeat their success record-wise a year ago, Ramsey’s play stayed at a high level. He had three interceptions, a career-high 62 solo tackles and was named to the Pro Bowl for a second consecutive season.

With another year of seasoning under his belt it stands to reason that Ramsey will only be better. He’s shown the versatility to defend speedy wide receivers like Tyreek Hill and T.Y. Hilton, big receivers like A.J. Green and tight ends Travis Kelce and Rob Gronkowski. Jacksonville knows that they have a defender who is capable of handling the best receiving option on the opposing team week in and week out. While he’s made his mark mostly on the left side of the defense he’s not afraid of moving around the formation depending on who he’s matched up against. In the secondary, Ramsey is the ultimate weapon.

Unlike in 2018 when he made headlines with his honest breakdown of the opposing quarterbacks on the Jaguars’ schedule, he has been relatively silent—or should we say measured, because Ramsey is never silent—this offseason. While it’s possible that the star cornerback has turned over a new leaf, it’s more likely that if Jacksonville finds itself as a contender and playoff team in the AFC that we will hear plenty from him this year. Having a player this special and this sure of himself isn’t something that every team has. Letting Jalen Ramsey be Jalen Ramsey is the key to the Jaguars regaining their swagger on the field this season.