Miami Dolphins trade for star CB Jalen Ramsey, shore up a lacking cornerback room

The Los Angeles Rams are trading star cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins for a 2023 third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long, per CBS Sports' Josina Anderson.

The move sends one of the best defensive players in football to a Dolphins team that came close to taking down the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round of the playoffs with a backup quarterback.

Since entering the league in 2016, Ramsey has the highest PFF grade, highest PFF coverage grade and highest PFF run-defense grade among all cornerbacks.

Highest-graded CBs in the NFL since 2016

Ramsey can play both on the outside and as a slot corner, logging 727 snaps on the inside over the past three seasons. While he will give up big plays from time to time, he’s also one of the best in the league when it comes to making plays on the ball. Over the past three seasons, he ranks sixth among cornerbacks with 43 forced incompletions, tied for sixth with nine interceptions and tied for third with 36 pass breakups.

The move comes after a poor 2022 season for the Dolphins' cornerbacks, with undrafted rookie Kader Kohou their highest-graded player at the position. It also comes after ESPN reported that Miami plans to release veteran cornerback Byron Jones.

Dolphins CBs coverage grade and rank in 2022 (min. 150 coverage snaps)

Xavien Howard, in particular, really struggled for Miami, producing the lowest PFF coverage grade of his career so far and allowing a career-high 910 yards in coverage. Over the past two seasons, Howard has allowed 13 touchdown receptions, too.

Bringing in Ramsey is an opportunity for the Dolphins to boost their cornerback unit into a formidable group of talented veterans and up-and-coming defenders.