Jalen Ramsey dominates NFL Draft Combine, could go No. 1

THE NFL is full of extraordinary athletes but what this 21-year-old did this week took explosiveness to another level.

Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine on Monday, Feb. 29, 2016, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

JALEN Ramsey didn’t produce the most memorable 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

That honour went to Mississippi State defensive lineman Chris Jones.

But his time of 4.41 seconds — in a speed test players live and die on — was described by scouts as “freakish” and “rare” for a man standing 187cm.

Coupled with his otherworldly results in the vertical jump (105.4cm) and broad jump (3.43m), Ramsey’s display of explosiveness had some analysts naming the Florida State University defensive back as a potential number one pick in this year’s draft.

“Jalen Ramsey is the best player in the draft,” Bleacher Report’s NFL Draft Lead Writer Matt Miller said.

“He’s a stud. Today solidified everything that you saw on tape. He is a unique kid because he has that track background. So you kind of had seen it already. I knew he was going to broad jump well because he was the ACC long jump champ, but the (4.41) at (187cm and 95kgs), that’s pretty freakish, it’s rare. And the (105.4cm) vertical, it shows off how explosive he can be. I love the kid.”

A snapshot of the 41.5 vertical of #Seminoles DB Jalen Ramsey. Good. Lord. 😑 Hat tip, @realfootballtv. pic.twitter.com/GBa5JdYiEp

— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) February 29, 2016

Ramsey met with the Tennessee Titans — who own the number one pick — as well as the San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars and the Baltimore Ravens, who will all pick inside the top six.

He has been compared physically to Arizona Cardinals star Patrick Peterson, who has made the Pro Bowl in all of his first five seasons in the NFL.

“If you look at the vert (Ramsey’s is) three and a half inches more (than Peterson), if you look at the broad jump, nine inches more,” one scout said. “My big question with Ramsey is can he find the football in the air anywhere close to as well as Patrick Peterson.”

Ramsey, who has been a key reason behind FSU’s success in the past three years, also impressed in drills.

“The Florida State standout displayed outstanding quickness and fluidity in a variety of position drills designed to showcase his footwork and movement skills,” NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks wrote. “With Ramsey’s resume full of splash plays and knockout hits, he cemented his reputation as a top-five talent with his strong performance.”

How Ramsey stacks up compared to All Pro Patrick Peterson.

Ramsey’s father, Lamont, described his son’s outstanding performance as just another day at the office.

“I was like ‘You killed it. I’m proud of you.’ And he was like ‘I know, man.’ Just said thanks and that was it,” Lamont told the Tallahassee Democrat. “With him, people think because he’s wild on the field he’s like that away from the field and he’s really not. He’s just so laid back and ‘this is what I expected to do.’”

After what he did today, my man-crush on Jalen Ramsey to #Titans is even bigger. Freak athlete who WANTS to be a Titan.

— Greg Arias (@TNFBScout) February 29, 2016

Originally published as Jalen Ramsey dominates NFL Draft Combine, could go No. 1