Jalen Ramsey ranked second-best player right now from 2016 draft class

Jalen Ramsey has already been everything the Jacksonville Jaguars expected and more at the number one cornerback position.

When NFL draft night rolled around in 2016, it was still very much unclear what the Jacksonville Jaguars would do with the fifth overall pick. It was seemingly a given that the team would select a defensive player, but the consensus was that Jalen Ramsey wouldn’t be on the board after four selections. Ramsey was, and Jacksonville didn’t waste a second turning in the draft card with his name on it.

Just two full seasons later, that decision has been a franchise bolstering move. Ramsey has ascended to elite status at not only his position, but overall in the league, and is an invaluable force on the monstrous Jaguars defense.

On NFL.com, former league quarterback and current analyst David Carr ranked the top players right now from the 2016 draft, and has Ramsey at number two:

"2. Jalen Ramsey CB Jaguars"

"Ramsey is extremely talented and has proven he can cover inside or outside the numbers in just two seasons. His size (6-foot-1, 208 pounds) allows him to be physical enough to cover big receivers like Julio Jones and tight ends, who often pose matchup problems for cornerbacks. Yet, Ramsey can also transition to cover shorter, quicker receivers like Antonio Brown. The All-Pro allowed a 52.1 passer rating on throws in which he was targeted in 2017. To me, Ramsey is easily the top defensive player from this draft."

The defensive star falls behind only Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, who before an unfortunate season-ending knee injury in 2017, was having an MVP caliber campaign on a eventual Super Bowl champion team.

Ramsey is everything you want from a team’s top corner, completely eliminating traffic on his side of the field. As Carr referenced, the defensive back has the size and skill to challenge big, possession style wideouts as well as shifty speed guys like an Antonio Brown.

Ramsey had four interceptions and 17 pass breakups in 2017, despite teams often opting to avoid his area of the field. The now third-year corner continues to only get better, which defies logic, and is set up to make another strong case as the best at his position next season.

If you need an example of how well Jacksonville drafted in that 2016 draft, and how stacked the defense is currently, not one but two other Jaguars were on the just missed list. Second-rounder Myles Jack and third-rounder Yannick Ngakoue were two of the three players David Carr says falls just short of the top ten.