It seems as though everywhere you look there’s another good safety in the 2026 NFL draft.
USC safety Kamari Ramsey hasn’t gotten much attention around the national media, however there’s buzz that the NFL is higher on him than folks on the outside realize. And taking a closer look at Ramsey, there’s good reason for the NFL’s interest.
USC might not be known for their defense under Lincoln Riley, but Ramsey is a solid, versatile, and well-rounded safety who played all over the back end of the Trojan’s
defense. And with the NFL leaning into Big Nickel packages to combat modern offenses, Ramsey’s versatility and football IQ are likely to be coveted.
The New York Giants brought in Ar’Darius Washington and Jason Pinnock to compete for the third safety role, but could they add Ramsey to the mix?
Prospect: Kamari Ramsey (7)
Games Watched: vs. Purdue (2025), vs. Michigan (2025), vs. Notre Dame (2025), vs. Iowa (2025)
Red flags: Knee (2025)
Measurables
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Strengths
Best traits
- Versatility
- Football IQ
- Processing
- Instincts
- Competitive toughness
Kamari Ramsey is a very well-rounded and highly versatile safety prospect.
Ramsey has a solid, though slightly undersized, frame for the position at 5-foot 11 ⅞ inches, 202 pounds, and with solid athletic traits. Ramsey was a Swiss army knife for the USC defense, playing a huge variety of roles, from free and strong safety, to slot defender, to STAR hybrid linebacker. Watching tape of Ramsey is a “Where’s Waldo” exercise in tracking him on a down-to-down basis.
He has a tight, compact backpedal which allows him to quickly get depth in zone coverage. He also has quick-enough feet to match up with most slot receivers and running backs at the collegiate level, and should be able to function as a slot defender at the NFL level.
Ramsey shows excellent awareness, processing, and instincts from both shallow and deep coverage zones. He does a good job of keeping his eyes in the backfield and is generally only fooled by truly excellent ball handling. Ramsey typically gets very good breaks on the ball and is frequently moving as the quarterback begins this throwing motion or the running back commits to a gap. He has an excellent downhill trigger and is a willing run defender who is able to take on most wide receiver blocks and get the ball carrier on the ground.
Ramsey has excellent toughness and is not only willing to get his hands dirty around the line of scrimmage in run support, but also offers great effort in pursuit. He prevented multiple explosive touchdowns in the tape viewed, including chasing Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love down from behind and making the tackle to save the touchdown.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Overall athleticism
- Size and mass
- Ball skills
Ramsey is a well-rounded defensive back, however he isn’t truly elite in any area. He’s a good athlete, but not a great one, who is solid in run defense and coverage, but not elite. He’s versatile, but not excellent in any area of the game.
Being a jack of all trades, master of none, is useful in its own right, however there’s little in his profile that would elevate him to a point where teams would specifically target him.
And with that very generalized skill set and athletic profile, comes the fact that Ramsey is somewhat limited in any one area of responsibility. He doesn’t have the size and strength to be a pseudo-linebacker enforcer near the line of scrimmage. Likewise, he doesn’t have the quick feet and fluid hips to effectively match up with slot receivers in man coverage.
More specifically, Ramsey also doesn’t appear to have much of a nose for the football. He’s disruptive, but also rarely comes away with turnovers and has just 2 interceptions and 1 forced fumble in his career. That could in part be due to shorter-than-ideal arms limiting his ability to make plays on the ball.
Finally, teams will want to do their due diligence with respect to the knee injury that ended Ramsey’s season. He was able to perform at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine so the concern is minimal, however it’s probably a good idea to check the box.
Game Tape
(Ramsey is the USC defensive back wearing number 7 and white bands on both forearms.)
Projection
USC safety Kamari Ramsey projects as a high-volume third safety at the NFL level.
Ramsey could probably start for multiple teams, however his versatility to fill just about any Back 7 role at least adequately makes him an excellent candidate to be the first safety off the bench in nickel situations. Ramsey’s football IQ, processing, instincts, range, and versatility should also allow him to be very useful in disguising coverages and blitz packages for sophisticated NFL defenses.
Ramsey doesn’t have any one trait in his profile that stands out – beyond his versatility – and that will likely get him overshadowed in an excellent safety class. However, that shouldn’t diminish his ability or value to a defense. Ramsey would be a steal at the top of the fourth round if he doesn’t hear his name called by the end of the third round.
Does he fit the Giants? Potentially, depending on scheme
Final Word: A later Day 2 value
