Rams CB Jalen Ramsey Once Dreamed of Playing For Dallas Cowboys
Just think, the Dallas Cowboys could have Jalen Ramsey and Trevon Diggs in the same secondary.
In fact, the Los Angeles Rams cornerback says the Cowboys promised him they were going to draft him in 2016. Having grown up a Cowboy fan, Ramsey was shocked and disappointed when Dallas instead selected running back Ezekiel Elliott with the No. 4 overall pick.
"I wanted to be the first defensive player off the board," the three-time All-Pro said this week on The Pivot podcast. "But if it didn't happen ... I always grew up a Dallas Cowboys fan. So if I went to them fourth, that's a dream come true. When I was on my visit to Dallas they told me straight up to my face that if I was there at No. 4 they were taking me. I thought I was going four for sure."
Ramsey was indeed on the board at No. 4, but the Cowboys went with Elliott. He led the NFL in rushing two of his first three seasons but has seen his production drastically decrease. He failed to rush for 1,000 yards in 2020 and in 2021 split playing time with Tony Pollard so much that he got a career-low 237 carries.
Ramsey, who went to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 5 but was traded to the Rams in 2019, is widely regarded as the league's best cornerback. He has made five consecutive Pro Bowl appearances and last season helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI.
Had they lived up to their word with Ramsey, the Cowboys could have him and Diggs at cornerback with Pollard as their lead running back. Salivating as that image is for Cowboys fans, Ramsey says he doesn't like the comparison to Dallas' interception specialist.
Though both cornerbacks made All Pro in 2021 and Diggs led the NFL with 11 interceptions, Ramsey said they play contrasting styles.
“I ain’t gonna lie, I hate it when people compare me and Trevon,” Ramsey also said on The Pivot. “We play completely different. I always play out of phase, he always plays in phase.”
Diggs often jumps routes and breaks on the ball in an attempt to either break up the pass or pick it off. His high-risk, high-reward strategy also, however, surrendered 1,000 yards in coverage. Ramsey prefers to lock down receivers without gambling, leading to only nine interceptions over the past five seasons but also few big offensive plays against him.
In his ranking of NFL cornerbacks, Ramsey put Diggs No. 4 behind himself, the Saints' Marshon Lattimore and Dolphins' Xavien Howard.
For what it's worth, Ramsey placed no Cowboys receivers in his Top 5.
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