New York Giants Draft Prospect: Edge Jose Ramirez

Yes, edge depth very much remains a need for the Giants. Could Jose Ramirez of Eastern Michigan provide it?

Author:
Nick Falato
Publish date:
Mar 16, 2023 12:54 PM EDT

In this story:

Jose Ramirez, EDGE

Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 242 lbs.
Class: RS-Senior
School: Eastern Michigan

Combine Measurements

Arm length: 32 ¾”
Hand size: 8 ¾”
40-yard-dash: 4.73
10-yard-split: 1.63
Vertical jump: 34.5”
Broad jump: 9’10”
3-Cone drill: 6.95
20-Yard shuttle: 4.3
Bench press: 21 reps

A former three-star recruit out of Florida who was recruited as an athlete, he played wide receiver, cornerback, and safety while at Auburndale High School in Auburndale, Florida. Ramirez is an older prospect who originally committed to Arizona in 2017, where he red-shirted.

He practiced with Arizona but never saw game action. Instead, he transferred to Riverside City Community College before the 2018 season. He recorded 44 tackles and eight sacks at EDGE for Riverside City before transferring to Eastern Michigan University before the 2019 season. EMU is the same school as Raiders’ star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby; Ramirez has spoken highly about Crosby as one of his mentors.

Notables

Ramirez’s final two seasons with Eastern Michigan were phenomenal. He recorded 86 pressures, 18.5 sacks, and 31.5 tackles for a loss in 2021 & 2022. He earned a Walter Camp All-American honor in 2022 after recording 63 total tackles (38 solos), with 19.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, two passes defended, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and 10 QB hurries.

Ramirez was named to the All-MAC Team twice and was the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year. Before attending the NFL Combine, Ramirez received an invite to the East/West Shrine game in Las Vegas, Nevada. Exercising his extra year of eligibility was a smart move for Ramirez, who will look to bolster a team’s pass-rushing ability as a likely Day 3 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Strengths

Solid length and leverage due to his shorter stature and almost 33” arm length
Solid burst off the snaps and good acceleration in pursuit
Displayed good agility on tape - maintains a low center of gravity with good body control when exchanging gaps
An effective rusher from a two, three, and four point stance in college
Has good twitch when rushing the passer off the edge
Plays with good bend in his lower half to win around the edge
Is slippery as an athlete with fluid lower body flexion
Can stress his ankle joint through contact to flatten at the top of the pass-rushing arc
Good ability to dip his knees/hips to avoid contact from bigger OL when pass-rushing
Had a variety of pass-rushing moves and understood how to string them together
Attacked blocker’s elbows to break contact - understood when to use leverage
Had a pass-rush plan: will employ push-pull, swims, rips, power-moves, etc.
Converted speed to power, albeit against non-NFL tackles
Had multiple sacks against Western Michigan, where he defeated double-team blocks
Excellent motor who is very tough

Get More 2023 Draft Profiles here.

Weaknesses

Undersized
Small hands - sub 9”
Modest athlete for NFL standards
Testing - other than agility drills - was sub-par
Struggled against Arizona State (2022: Week 3)

Too often was tied up and couldn’t leverage explosiveness to win the EDGE

Took advantage of lesser competition
Marginal run defender at the point of attack
Shedding blocks at the next level could be an impediment to him earning snaps
Can he consistently set the edge at the next level?
Functional strength concerns on the edge
Didn’t play much special teams in college

Summary

Jose Ramirez is a quick EDGE rusher who dominated at a lower level of competition. He is a fluid player with good flexion in his lower half to win high-side; he combines good burst with a low center-of-gravity and a solid understanding of how/when to employ pass-rushing moves. He’s also slippery in tight spaces and understands how to maneuver away from blockers with good overall spatial awareness.

However, he is undersized, and his functional strength at the point of attack is of concern for the next level. Against Arizona State in Week 3, he was tied up several times by their PAC-12 athletes. ASU didn’t run directly at Ramirez often, but the jump in competition certainly seemed to hinder Ramirez’s impact on the game.

Players who lack size and aren’t difference-making athletes with limited special teams’ upside typically have an uphill climb in the NFL. Still, he’s good enough to latch onto a team as a developmental, situational pass rusher.

GRADE: 5.83