The top of the 2016 NFL Draft board is kind of difficult to figure out. We have a good handle on six or seven of the names expected to be go in the top ten, but trades and needs could mean all sorts of adjustments to the order players are selected.
Defensive back Jalen Ramsey is viewed by some as the best overall prospect in this year's draft class. He is not expected to go No. 1, with the Tennessee Titans frequently connected to offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil or a trade down to a QB-needy team. Ramsey remains a possibility, but odds seem decent he does not go No. 1.
One question about Ramsey has been his position. Mike Mayock listed him as a cornerback in his first rankings, then moved him to safety in his second, and recently moved him back to cornerback. There is still chatter about him as a safety, but Ramsey had a chance to clarify his position. In a recent Q&A with Matt Miller, he was asked whether he was a cornerback or safety:
Cornerback. I'm a corner who can play safety. I feel like I'm the prototypical new edition of cornerbacks that the league needs and is going to with bigger receivers. I'm the most physical defensive back and that's how I play at every level. I have good footwork and can play with the smaller receivers. I can play on the back end because of my physicality, but also because of my range and length.
This is certainly a reasonable response, but I imagine his agent has also made sure Ramsey has this answer down pat. Ramsey is talented, and confident in his abilities, so I don't think he is concerned about slipping too far in the draft. When asked about selling himself to the Titans as the No. 1 pick (and as a "hometown guy"), he was pretty straight forward.
I feel like I'm the best player in the draft class. They should pick me because I'm a prospect, not a hometown kid. Just turn on the film. Everything that's ever been asked of me, I've done it and done it at an elite level. I came in and got a job as a freshman. I was the only freshman starting on a national championship team and was making all the calls and asked to know the defense.
Sophomore year they moved me to "Star" and asked me to be a playmaker at the most important position on the team. I was an All-American again. Then this year I moved to cornerback and shut down the No. 1 wide receiver every week.
Every year I've proven I can play wherever the team needs me at an elite level. And that's not to mention what I can do on special teams where I played every single special team at FSU. A team isn't going to get one kind of player. They're going to get a multiple, versatile guy who can help immediately but also down the line as a leader for a long while.