When the NFL Draft process began, there was a thought Jalen Ramsey could go home to Tennessee. Then, there was a chance he could go play for the team of his youth in the Dallas Cowboys.
Turns out, Ramsey will just be a few hours east on Interstate 10 with the Jacksonville Jaguars taking the former Florida State star with the fifth pick of the NFL Draft on Thursday.
"Man, I am so happy, I am so so happy; I’m so blessed. I am glad my whole family is up here to support me; I love you all. I can’t wait to be a Jaguar," Ramsey said in a statement issued by FSU. "Exactly that’s the plan, all the 'Nole Nation, you all just come to Jacksonville now."
Ramsey, at one point, could have been the No. 1 pick. That all changed when his hometown Tennessee Titans traded their pick to the Los Angeles Rams. And once the Philadelphia Eagles acquired the second pick from the Cleveland Browns, it became clear the first two selections would be quarterbacks.
The San Diego Chargers selected Ohio State defensive lineman Joey Bosa with the third pick. When the Cowboys were on the clock, there was either a chance they could take Ramsey or Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott.
Dallas went with Elliott and Jacksonville snapped up Ramsey.
"It was an easy decision," Jaguars general manager David Caldwell told reporters about taking Ramsey.
Caldwell said Ramsey reminds him of another former FSU star in Antonio Cromartie, who was taken in the first round by the Chargers in 2006.
Jaguars coach Gus Bradley said the plan is to have Ramsey, who can play all over the secondary, at cornerback.
"Not a concern," Bradley said about Ramsey's ball skills, which some analysts proclaimed to be a weakness. "I talked to two coaches and they said, 'They didn't throw his way.'"
Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash told the team's website the coaching staff was a player they targeted for quite sometime.
"We knew it was a situation where he can play the press coverage we are looking at," Wash said. "We're very excited to have him."
A three-year starter at FSU, Ramsey becomes the 43rd Seminole to be taken in the first round. This is the 33rd consecutive season a Florida State player has been drafted. He also becomes the ninth Seminole to be drafted in the first round in the Jimbo Fisher era.
FSU signed the former five-star prospect out of Tennessee in 2013, and he became an instant success. Ramsey became the first true freshman to start at cornerback for the Seminoles since Deion Sanders in 1985.
Ramsey would later move to safety that season and finished his freshman campaign with 49 tackles en route to helping the Seminoles claim their third national title in program history. He would go on to win numerous Freshman All-American honors.
As a sophomore, he started 14 games for FSU at the "Star" (nickelback) position, ranking fourth on the team in tackles with 79; he also led the Seminoles with 12 pass breakups. Ramsey was named to several All-American teams after that season and was a first-team All-ACC selection by coaches and media.
Coming into the 2015 season, there was a growing feeling it would be Ramsey's last year in Tallahassee. The 6-foot-1, 209-pounder returned to cornerback and ended his final season with 52 tackles, four tackles for loss and a team-high 10 pass breakups. Ramsey ended the year with several accolades and became the 36th consensus All-American in FSU history.
Ramsey now heads to Jacksonville where he will see some familiar faces.
He will be reunited with former teammates in star linebacker Telvin Smith and receiver Rashad Greene, who was drafted by the Jaguars in 2015.
"I'm extremely proud of Jalen and very excited for him and his family. He earned every bit of this with his work ethic and his passion for the game," Fisher said in a statement.
"He will be a tremendous player for the Jacksonville Jaguars and I'm looking forward to watching him on Sunday's for years to come.
"Jalen is a true Seminole and he will continue to be a great ambassador for our program and for Florida State. Congratulations to Jalen and his family."
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