JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – At this time last year the hope was that A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey could develop into one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL. Fast forward 12 months later and it’s no longer a question. The Jaguars two All-Pro cornerbacks form the best tandem in the NFL.
Position: Cornerback
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2017 Stats: 56 tackles and 6 interceptions
2018 Projection: The argument could easily have been made that Bouye deserved to join Ramsey as an 2017 first-team All-Pro selection (not that being a 2nd team All-Pro is anything to scoff at). Last season quarterbacks only had a NFL low 33.8 passer rating when throwing in Bouye’s direction. His interception rate of 6.9 was second best in the NFL. Bouye didn’t allow a single touchdown during the regular season.
In the media Bouye is much quieter than Ramsey, but in terms of confidence the two are equals and that’s what makes them great. Steelers WR Antonio Brown made a couple of unbelievable touchdown grabs in Pittsburgh’s AFC Divisional Playoff loss to Jacksonville.
Bouye has used that game as motivation to be even better in 2018…
Bouye on how he went about improving his craft this off-season:
“Watching film … I talked to A.B. [Antonio Brown] at the Pro Bowl, and he saw how I kind of played him in the first game and he adjusted and I didn’t. He was showing me some of the stuff he was doing, and he was doing it in the walkthrough [at the Pro Bowl]. I was just like, ‘Alright. I am going to start playing that [style] and work on certain things with my body just to stay stronger at the top of the route.’ Stuff like that and then having watched film with the Patriots game with the scheme we were running and seeing how I could work on getting that better.”
How good was A.J. Bouye's 2017 season? Since PFF grading began with the 2006 season, no outside cornerback has allowed a lower NFL passer rating than Bouye did this year! pic.twitter.com/C5YGGRNId9
— PFF (@PFF) January 4, 2018