Jalen Ramsey played the “star” position for the Los Angeles Rams since Brandon Staley was the defensive coordinator and Raheem Morris continued to deploy him in that role, lining up Ramsey in the slot fairly often. With the Rams trading Ramsey earlier this offseason, Morris believes that guys like Cobie Durant and Shaun Jolly could fill the All-Pro cornerback’s previous role.
“It’s hard to even mention Jalen, because like he’s the prototype for every position. But when you talk about what it is, it’s really the increased toughness. It’s really the short space quickness, and when you put a guy like Cobie and you put a young Jolly in there, they definitely have those tools and those attributes,” Morris said. “They definitely lack the size that Jalen had, which is kind of unique. But those are the things that we look for. Those are things that you look for in just around the league in general. And those guys that we have right now going out to getting those reps are certainly showing those attributes and being able to do some of those things. Jalen provided sort of a unique ability just with his size, either outside corner or whether you played him inside, I don’t think it really mattered. (He’s) kind of unique in his own right.”
The “star” position allowed Ramsey to be moved around on the defensive side of the ball, primarily putting him in the slot to give him more playmaking opportunities. Not every cornerback is as talented as Ramsey, though, especially with his size, length and physicality.
Replacing Ramsey is easier said than done, but Morris is confident in what he’s seen from Durant and Jolly thus far. Durant, who is 5-foot-11 and around 180 pounds, tallied three interceptions and led all NFL players with 151 interception return yards as a rookie in 2022.
Meanwhile, Jolly is listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds as an undrafted free agent entering his second year in the NFL. Jolly was only active in two games for the Rams last season and his six total snaps came on special teams.
Even though there is plenty of time between now and the start of the 2023 season, Morris seemingly views Durant and Jolly as the current frontrunners to replace Ramsey in the “star” role.
