The Pittsburgh Steelers made a surprise splash when they traded for cornerback Jalen Ramsey in a blockbuster deal with the Miami Dolphins. And if superstar linebacker T.J. Watt is to be believed, Ramsey’s arrival could help take the Steelers’ defense to another level in 2025.
Ever since getting selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Ramsey has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. He’s earned seven Pro Bowl selections and three All-Pro First Team honors, while also helping the Los Angeles Rams win Super Bowl LVI in 2022.
With the Steelers, Ramsey seems primed for a unique role, as he’s been rotating all throughout their secondary early on in training camp. While it’s not exactly what fans were expecting to see from Ramsey, Watt believes the veteran cornerback’s willingness to fill several different roles will help Pittsburgh’s defense become the best version of itself.
“It’s one of those things where you never know where Jalen’s gonna be, you never know what he’s gonna do,” Watt said recently when speaking with reporters. “The better that we disguise, the better that everybody eats. I’m really looking forward to continuing to get better, and our guys in the backend, helping them up front as well.”
Ramsey has been filling in as a boundary cornerback, a nickelback, and even a safety at times for the Steelers early in training camp. With Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay also at the team’s disposal, that gives them a bit more freedom with what they can do with Ramsey moving forward.
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It seems like Ramsey is going to be a jack of all trades for Pittsburgh in their secondary, which is a pretty great luxury that any defense would love to have. And with Watt and the rest of the front seven doing their job in front of the secondary, the Steelers have the makings of an absolutely lethal defense for the 2025 season.
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