Jacksonville Jaguars’ A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey set to grow in 2017
By Luke Sims
A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey are the best young cornerback tandem in the NFL and will only grow more for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017.
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey was every bit as good as advertised following his selection in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. A stud rookie who made the NFL Network’s under-25 team, Ramsey proved he could hang with the best wide receivers in the NFL and also make some plays while doing so.
Meanwhile, A.J. Bouye emerged as a dominant cornerback with the division rival Houston Texans in 2016. Bouye’s fourth season in the NFL saw him rise to the rank of starter and locking down opposing receivers as the best cornerback on a dominant Texans defense. He made Pro Football Focus’ list as the seventh-best cornerback during the 2016 season.
With Bouye just scratching the surface of his potential last season and Ramsey still finding his (already strong) footing at the professional level, it’s safe to say that the best young cornerback tandem could easily evolve into the league’s best cornerback tandem, period.
That seems to be the goal of Ramsey. At Florida State’s Pro Day recently he mentioned that, “It’s going to be great. We’re going to grind. We’re going to grow,” in reference to him and Bouye. The Jags need them to grow and to lead a team that has simply failed to live up to its talented expectations thus far.
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Both players are capable of being the top cornerback for any team, prompting considering the two as 1.0 and 1A options rather than as a typical one and two arrangement. As ESPN’s Michael DiRocco ponders, who will cover the opposing team’s top wide receiver? It’s an important question, but not necessarily one that is a true problem. It’s more a benefit of having such talented players on the roster.
That is a problem that the Jaguars have not had to deal with for some time. No matter how it shakes out, however, expect the Jaguars’ tandem to become something much better for the team than 2016’s defensive effort. Both players are poised to be even better as they enter their year-22/23 and year-26 seasons.