Starring at the back end of a loaded Jacksonville defense, playmaking cornerback Jalen Ramsey was overshadowed by pocket-crashing pass rusher Calais Campbell in last season's Defensive Player of the Year discussions.
Listening to testimonies from teammates and opponents, however, it's quite evident that Ramsey is the true difference-maker for a Jaguars defense that finally turned the corner in the final month of his rookie season.
Sitting down with NFL Network's Dan Hellie and Brian Baldinger for Tuesday's edition of Inside Training Camp Live, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Malik Jackson identified Ramsey as the player who stands out most on game film as well as in practices.
"You just want him to be the best, you can see that he is going to be the best. So I think that guy is somebody who's just truly special."
One of just three cornerbacks with at least 60 tackles, three interceptions and 15 passes defensed last season, Ramsey ended up placing No. 17 in NFL Network's The Top 100 Players Of 2018 countdown.
It speaks to the respect he engenders around the league that the former Florida State star is already viewed as a legitimate superstar entering his third NFL season.
"Man, that guy's really good," venerable Patriots special teams ace Matthew Slater raved in the lead-up to last year's AFC Championship Game. "And he should be confident, because he's very, very good. The good Lord made that guy, and he said, 'Let there be corner.' And there he is. I'd be confident if I were him, as well."
A phenomenally gifted athlete with the requisite discipline and uncanny instincts of a perennial All Pro, Ramsey stands as the most talented player on the AFC's most talented roster.
