Jalen Ramsey claims Cowboys misled him ahead of Ezekiel Elliott pick

Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey is one of the most talented players in the NFL right now. He is a 5x Pro Bowler, 3x first-team All-Pro, and Super Bowl champion. But, before all of that, Ramsey claims the Dallas Cowboys broke a promise to him in the 2016 NFL Draft. I guess Randy Moss isn’t the only legendary NFL player who got snubbed by the Cowboys. The cornerback appeared on “The Pivot” podcast hosted by Ryan Clark (video clip in the tweet below) and talked about his visit to Dallas back in 2016 and his expectation to play with the team.

Like Moss, Ramsey has had an exceptional career. He is likely incredibly satisfied with his current situation given he just signed a $105 million extension in 2020 and won a Super Bowl last season. But the lie from Dallas still seems to haunt him. Ahead of the 2016 NFL Draft, Ramsey and Joey Bosa were both considered top prospects and there was talk back and forth about who would be the first defensive player chosen in the draft.

The Florida State product allegedly grew up a Cowboys fan, and although he would’ve been honored to be picked in the top 3, he said it would have been a dream come true to go to Dallas at No. 4 overall. Ramsey had a visit with the Cowboys ahead of the draft where the team led him to believe he would soon become a Cowboy. Here is what he said happened:

"“When I was on my visit to Dallas, they told me straight up to my face, ‘If you’re there at four, we’re taking you.’ But we don’t think you’re gonna be there at four.’ They said, ‘We think [the Chargers] are gonna get you at three, but if you’re there at four, if you’re on that board we’re taking you.’”"

Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey claims the Cowboys promised to pick him at fourth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, but they chose RB Ezekiel Elliott instead

In the end, picks one through five were Jared Goff to the Rams, Carson Wentz to the Eagles, Joey Bosa to the Chargers, Ezekiel Elliott to the Cowboys, and Jalen Ramsey to the Jaguars. So, Ramsey was available, and the Cowboys still picked Elliott over him despite what they told him. Perhaps the worst part is that the cornerback said he found out as it happened. As Elliott’s pick was announced, Rasmey received a phone call from Jacksonville. His dream of going at third or fourth overall in the draft was shattered.

Ramsey headed to the Jaguars where he played for almost four seasons. He earned himself two Pro Bowl nominations in 2017 and 2018, but ultimately demanded a trade out of Jacksonville and headed to Los Angeles during the 2019 season on a blockbuster deal. He earned All-Pro honors in his first two full seasons with the Rams (2020 and 2021) and was the highest-graded cornerback by PFF in 2021.

Right about now, Dallas may also be mad they didn’t pick Ramsey at No. 4. Elliott was great in his first few years. He entered the league strong and led the NFL in rushing yards per game for two of his first three seasons. However, unlike Ramsey, that production has dropped since 2019. He failed to rush for 1,000 yards in the 2020 and 2021 regular seasons and has dealt with lingering and ongoing injuries.

We all know Jerry Jones will never admit when he’s wrong, but it seems like the karma of lying to Ramsey (assuming this is all true) may have come back to haunt him. Would you rather have Ramsey or Elliott on the Cowboys roster?