Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay believes All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie could have the same impact as Jalen Ramsey did in his time with the team.
The Los Angeles Rams had a clear weakness on their team last season: the cornerback position. It was part of the reason why they fell short in the NFC Championship game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Los Angeles' front office got to work to address the issue immediately, landing All-Pro shutdown corner Trent McDuffie in a blockbuster trade, who head coach Sean McVay has stated mimics the play of the Rams' last shutdown corner in Jalen Ramsey.
McDuffie is expected to be a game-changer for the Rams' defense this season and beyond. He's proven that he can wreck the opposing offense's game plan and shut down the opposing side's best pass catcher.
If McDuffie can emerge as the shutdown option that has been missing, the defense can rebound in a big way. That is especially true if he emerges as anything close to what Ramsey was when with the Rams.
According to McVay, that is exactly what he sees in the former Kansas City Chiefs defender.
"You look at the four years of his body of work and the versatility, where he can do a lot of things that were similar to what made Jalen Ramsey such a special player for us when our defense was really operating at a high clip," McVay said.
The Rams acquired Ramsey during the 2019 season. He was also 25 years old at the time, and instantly changed the Rams' secondary.
Ramsey was part of the reason why Los Angeles was the No. 1 defense in 2020, and was overall an elite unit, particularly in scoring and passing yards allowed. He was also a versatile cornerback who wreaked havoc on opposing defenses and pass catchers.
In four seasons with the Rams, Ramsey recorded 242 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 47 pass defended, 10 interceptions, four quarterback hits, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 57 games in the horns.
Ramsey was a Pro Bowler in three of the four seasons and was named first-team All-Pro in 2020 and 2021.
McDuffie has a chance to do the same thing for the Rams under McVay. He is an elite cornerback with outstanding coverage skills and a natural ability to make plays on the ball. Like Ramsey, what truly separates McDuffie, though, is his versatility — he can line up in multiple spots across the secondary and impact the game in a variety of ways.
The Los Angeles native has proven he can play anywhere on the football field. McDuffie has experience at both corner (over 2,000 snaps) and in the slot (over 800 snaps). He ranks in the top 10 for slot yards per snap allowed since 2022, proving his elite ability to switch positions.
McDuffie signed a massive four-year, $124 million extension with Los Angeles in early March.