A veteran AFC scout recently expressed concern with the effort of Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
“For me, it’s more an effort issue than ability,” the scout told ESPN. “I don’t think he’s declined physically. He can still do all the things that make him great. I’m just not sure he always plays hard.”
It’s a pretty strong critique of Ramsey, who is a six-time Pro Bowler and won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams in the 2021 season. The 28-year-old was still a productive player last season but may have something to prove in the upcoming campaign.
The Dolphins acquired Ramsey this offseason in a trade that sent just a third-round pick in the 2023 draft and 24-year-old tight end Hunter Long to the Rams.
Miami is hoping that Ramsey can pair with Xavien Howard to create a dynamic duo in the secondary, but he’ll certainly need to give some supreme effort for the Dolphins if they want to succeed.
While the scout isn’t sold on Ramsey always playing hard, the six-time Pro Bowler had a pretty impressive 2022 campaign.
Last season, Ramsey appeared in all 17 games for the Rams, picking off four passes in the process. He finished with a career-high 88 combined tackles and added four tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
That helped him register a Pro Football Focus grade of 86.4, which was actually higher than his grade from PFF in the 2021 season, when he received an 84.5.
A three-time All-Pro, Ramsey can wreak havoc with his ability to pick off opposing quarterbacks. In his career, he has 19 interceptions and has picked off multiple passes in five of his seven NFL seasons.
The Dolphins cornerback will get a chance to really prove this scout and any other doubters wrong by thriving with Miami in the 2023 season.
Ramsey has praised the team’s defensive scheme this offseason, and he seems confident that he can make a major impact with this roster.
The Dolphins are fresh off a trip to the playoffs, but they lost in the first round to the Buffalo Bills. If Ramsey can improve Miami’s defense and help it make a deeper run, questions about his effort level may go away.
