Is Jalen Ramsey claim of an elite LA Rams defense onto something?

If the LA Rams were the Marvel Universe Avengers, then All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey would be the Vision. Not only is this guy blessed with a nearly elite ability to see and process practically everything that is happening on the football field, but he can be either a diamond-hard defender at the line of scrimmage or a nearly ghostlike shadow on a receiver who trails alongside him almost effortlessly.

Talent recognizes talent. That’s been the way the LA Rams have operated under the tandem guidance of All-Pro DL Aaron Donald and All-Pro DB Jalen Ramsey. But now there is a third All-Pro entering the Rams mix, and he will get to play in the middle of the action. Bobby Wagner is an LA Rams player, and he is a game-changer.

The LA Rams’ secret to defensive success has been the defensive coordinator’s willingness to use their All-Pro talents in ways that allowed the defense to call the shots. With the arrival of DC Brandon Staley, he immediately recognized the value of Jalen Ramsey and structured the defense to allow Ramsey to play all over the field.

Rams roster 2.0

Of course, that was just the second chapter of the LA Rams defense.

Staley’s defense did more than just disguise and deceive. In his defense, Staley was able to amplify the power of Jalen Ramsey by forcing the opposing quarterback into seeing, processing, and then calibrating his progression reads based on where he spotted Jalen Ramsey on the defense. In some cases, that meant not even throwing to the open receiver because quarterbacks were programmed to throw away from Ramsey in the Rams’ coverage.

Ramsey not only won those one-on-one battles with wide receivers at that point. He began to win the one-on-one battles going on in the mind of the quarterback. In essence, Ramsey’s effect doubled in impact thanks to the way that Staley used him in this defense.