Jalen Ramsey vs. DeAndre Hopkins: A clash of skill and respect

After three seasons of their epic battles, Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins know what they are going to see when they play each other — their opponents absolute best.

The two players face off twice a year as AFC South divisional foes, a matchup that fans and analysts a like mark on their calendar. After all, what else is there to look forward to if not a matchup of two elite players?

"It’s one of the toughest battles I have each year, year-in year-out. We always have pretty good battles," Ramsey said Thursday.

Ramsey is not one to feed into another player's ego, either. If he is complimentary about a player, he means it. And there are not many players who he will say challenge him like Hopkins does.

"I feel like he’s a complete receiver, he can do a lot," Ramsey said. "He usually never drops passes ever, it doesn’t matter if he’s guarded. That’s probably one of the toughest things defending him."

The respect Ramsey has for his divisional counterpart isn't one-sided, either. Hopkins had high praise for Ramsey when asked about the all-pro cornerback this week when asked about the defender that will most likely be covering him every play.

"He's my favorite corner to play against. He's the only corner in the NFL that actually follows me everywhere I go, so you gotta respect that," Hopkins said, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 in Houston.

"No matter where I lineup he's right there in front of me. A lot of guys claim they are #1 DBs, but not a lot of guys can do that."

What is it about Ramsey that has earned Hopkins respect over the years? It's simple, Hopkins said.

"His athletic ability. He is not the average corner. He is long, psychical, he is fast. He is everything I think you want in a football player."

When Ramsey and Hopkins, two of the faces of the AFC, meet again at NRG Stadium in Houston on Sunday, they know neither player will likely walk out of the stadium as the clear-cut victor. Instead, they will go back and forth over the course of four quarters, each having their own shares of wins of losses.

"There’s been times in the past where I’ve had him guarded, like white on rice, and he’s still made an amazing catch, or a one-handed catch or a spectacular catch," Ramsey said. "You see those from him all the time because he makes difficult catches even if he is covered, double covered, whatever the case may be."

In the lead up to every Jaguars/Texans game, the CB @jalenramsey vs. WR @DeAndreHopkins matchup is always a focal point, and rightfully so.

Two of the best in the league battling every single play.

So complimentary of one another and so much mutual respect. Pretty damn cool. https://t.co/LwqG4EpR79
— Tad Dickman (@TDickman89) September 12, 2019

For a fierce competitor like Ramsey, it is hard to approach any game with a different mindset than the one before it or the one after it. But even he admits he gets a bit more motivation when he knows he has his respected rival across from him.

“I get up for every game to be honest with you. I just love football, I’m blessed to play the game each time I get a chance to go out there, but yeah, it’s a little something extra like you said. One of the best, if not the best, in the game. So, any type of competitor, you should try to embrace this and love this.”