The Denver Broncos have some flexibility entering the 2026 NFL Draft given their strong roster. Their defense is one of the best in the NFL and they added a dynamic playmaker in Jaylen Waddle to give their aerial attack a boost next season.
There is no doubt the secondary is one of the Broncos’ biggest strengths. However, it’s important to note that Riley Moss, Ja’Quan McMillian, Brandon Jones, and J.L. Skinner are scheduled to hit free agency at the end of next season. Veteran safety P.J. Locke also
signed with the Dallas Cowboys this past offseason.
A prospect I think Broncos Country needs to keep a close eye on is USC standout Kamari Ramsey. After starting off his collegiate career at UCLA, the former Bruin transferred to the Trojans in 2024 and played under newly hired defensive backs coach Doug Belk. He was a productive player for USC and showed tremendous coverage ability from various spots in their secondary.
If you’re a fan of defensive backs who can play multiple positions and throw down some bone-jarring hits, Ramsey will likely be one of your favorite prospects in this year’s class. Let’s do a deep dive regarding his strengths and weaknesses, and why and when the Broncos should consider selection him in this year’s draft.
Player Profile: Kamari Ramsey — Defensive Back — USC
Height: 6’0” | Weight: 202 pounds | Arm Length: 30-5/8” | Hand Size: 9-1/4” | Age: 21 Years Old
40-Yard Dash: 4.47 seconds | 10-Yard Split: 1.57 seconds
Vertical: 36” | Broad Jump: 10’0” | Bench Press: 16 Reps
Statistics at UCLA and USC: 35 games played, 133 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 11 passes defended.
Film Room & Highlights
Hart’s Scouting Report
Positives:
- Sports good size and athleticism for the position, but could add some weight to his frame
- Three years of starting experience with nearly 1,700 total defensive snaps
- Versatile defender who saw a significant uptick in nickel usage in ’25 (50-percent) and shows promise with deep safety potential in the NFL
- Quick to read-and-react when the ball is in the air
- Allowed just 32-percent of passes this season to be completed on him and only gave up two touchdowns his entire collegiate career
- Has the hops and athletic ability to get up and challenge bigger and physical receivers at the catch point
- Like his teammate Bishop Fitzgerald, plays hard and can deliver some decisive hits as a defender
Negatives:
- Improved his tackling a great deal this season (5-percent missed tackle rate), but still has a 15-percent career missed tackle rate
- Seems out of place when deployed as a box safety and struggles to combat the run the closer he gets to the line of scrimmage
- Would like to see more takeaways and plays on the ball
- Similarly to Fitzgerald, can roll the dice and get caught out peeking in the backfield looking for the big play
- Has been dinged up and missed a few games a year dating back to 2023 with the Bruins
Hart’s Projection: Top 100 Selection — Mid-to-Late Day 2 Value
Why the Denver Broncos should consider drafting Ramsey
As noted earlier, the Broncos have a lot of players scheduled to hit free agency after next season. On top of that, it’s no surprise that General Manager George Paton really likes utilizing draft picks in the secondary. For both those reasons, it’s almost a given a defensive back of some sorts will be selected in a few weeks.
Earlier in my Future Broncos segments, I did a report on Ramsey’s teammate Bishop Fitzerald. Both of them came under my radar during the season. However, once Belk was hired, giving them a deep dive was a must. I’ve got Fitzgerald ranked a little lower than Ramsey, despite having a bit more production and a penchant for taking the ball away.
One of the reasons I place a little higher value on Ramsey is how well he adjusted playing a majority of his snaps at nickel this season. That’s an important aspect of his game Fitzerald doesn’t possess. We all know Ja’Quan McMillian is a tremendous player, but it may be his last season in Denver.
Jahdae Barron could be his heir apparent. Yet that vision will be up to Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph to determine if he’s best at nickel or on the boundary as a potential Riley Moss replacement. Based on last seasons utilization, that seems to be a work in progress.
With Ramsey, you get a player who excelled as a nickel this last season, but also can play single high and two-deep coverages without any complications. He’s versatile and his positional flexibility gives him bonus points on my board. My biggest concerns with him are durability and not making more plays on the ball, but those are minor compared to the consistency he showed in coverage as a three-year collegiate starter.
Overall, I believe Pick 62 is too rich for Ramsey in my opinion. That being said, Denver has the ability to maneuver around in a small trade back (if able) or even up from one of their fourth-round selections to have a shot at selecting him. Though I’d mention it’s hard to envision them using their first pick on a defensive back that will struggle to find playing time. We all saw that with Barron last year, and I’m not sure that would be the best course of action for the team in this year’s draft.
Nevertheless, Ramsey is a good fit for the team and a player worth considering. It’d be interesting to be a fly on the wall in the Broncos’ war room to hear who they like more—Ramsey or Fitzerald. Maybe, just maybe, both will be on board at some point in time and a definitive decision will give us the answer. I’d be a fan of either of them being additions to the squad.
