Beyond pass rushers Rashan Gary and Preston Smith many of the Green Bay Packers’ edge rushers are unknown around on the NFL. One of them, though, Randy Ramsey, is determined to make a name for himself this season.
Ramsey was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Green Bay Packers in 2019. A product of Arkansas, Ramsey totaled 106 tackles in four seasons with the Razorbacks, including 8.5 sacks. His best season was arguably his junior year. That season, Ramsey had 43 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks. He also deflected two passes and forced two fumbles.
Ramsey was not able to make the Packers’ 53-man roster in 2019. Instead, he spent that season on the practice squad. In 2020, though, Ramsey made the 53-man roster and played in 12 games. He made 11 total tackles while playing just 9% of the defensive snaps. Ramsey was used heavily on special teams that season, playing 63% of all special teams’ plays.
The 2021 preseason began with Ramsey as one of the locks to make the team. However, Ramsey suffered a severe ankle injury in practice that landed him on injured reserve for the whole season.
“That was not a good injury, and it’s a shame, because he’s done so much in terms of bringing that special teams value, but also he’s reliable when we’ve been putting him in there on defense as well, and bringing some much-needed depth to that position," head coach Matt LaFleur said at the time of the injury.
On Friday, Packers writer Paul Bretl tweeted that Brian Gutekunst had mentioned Ramsey as someone that the Packers were excited to have back. Ramsey retweeted Bretl’s tweet with an encouraging message of his own:
With Za’Darius Smith now playing for the Minnesota Vikings and a lack of proven depth at the edge rusher position, Ramsey will certainly have a shot at proving himself on defense. The only edge rusher that the Packers drafted was Kingsley Enagbare in the seventh round. Besides Gary and Smith, Green Bay has Tipa Galeai, Jonathan Garvin, Ramsey, La’Darius Hamilton, Chauncey Manac and Kobe Jones. That means that seven players will be playing for five open spots, per Bretl’s above tweet.
Ramsey will have competition, but he is ready, willing and able to make a name for himself.
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