Top Rams players from the 2022 season, No. 2: Jalen Ramsey

The 2022 Los Angeles Rams season featured a lot of changing parts. Franchise cornerstone Andrew Whitworth retired after the Super Bowl. 2021 mid-season trade acquisition Von Miller went east and joined the Buffalo Bills. Robert Woods was traded to the Tennessee Titans. And Odell Beckham Jr went unsigned as he recovered from an ACL tear. From Week 1, the Rams started losing starters to injuries. This forced new names into more prominent roles.

In continuing the countdown list of the 2022 Los Angeles Rams top 15 individual performers, let’s take a quick look first at the current list.

#15 - Van Jefferson, WR

#14 - Tutu Atwell, WR

#13 - Matthew Stafford, QB

#12 - Ernest Jones, ILB

#11 - Michael Hoecht, EDGE

#10 - Tyler Higbee, TE

#9 - Decobie Durant, CB

#8 - Rob Havenstein, RT

#7 - Aaron Donald, DL

#6 - Leonard Floyd, EDGE

#5 - Cam Akers, RB

#4 - Matt Gay, K

#3 - Cooper Kupp, WR

While a below standard season for his game, he was still considered one of the best at his position this year…

#2 - Jalen Ramsey, CB

Ramsey’s year got off to a rough start when the Rams hosted the Bills to open up the 2022 NFL season.

Unfortunately, the touchdowns allowed kept piling up on Ramsey even after Week 1, as he allowed a total of seven touchdown receptions in 2022. Travis Kelce put him in a spin cycle at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 12. DK Metcalf beat him for the Seahawks game winner at SoFi Stadium a week later. Ramsey just couldn’t seem to find his footing compared to years past. His previous season high in touchdown receptions allowed was three.

Despite the increased touchdown rate, Jalen still managed to be one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. How do you ask? Ramsey still kept his assignments bottled up. He only allowed 57 receptions on 91 targets (62.6 Completion Percentage). Ramsey only allowed 38.7 yards/per game in coverage.

#5 was also the Rams best option at taking the ball away from the opposing offense. He had four interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery to go along with two sacks. His PFF grade for the season was 86.4.

His best game was the finale at Seattle. He picked off Geno Smith on the first play of the game and then snagged a second interception in the first half. He added five tackles and three pass deflections.

The rumors about whether Jalen Ramsey will be with the Rams in 2023 immediately started swirling after the team’s regular season ended. One piece to keep in mind is how valuable Ramsey is to Rams in the tenacity and run defense he provides. Even though the NFL is a passing league, the needle started shifting back towards a running mindset. Ramsey’s 91.8 run defense grade in 2022 was one of the best in the NFL. That may be something the LA front office keeps in mind as they determine whether to trade or keep him.