Caleb Ransaw

Summary

Caleb Ransaw was selected in the 3rd Round (#88 Overall) in the 2025 Draft out of Tulane University. At Troy, he appeared in 35 games over three seasons, amassing 81 tackles, six tackles for loss, one interception, and five pass breakups, and earning honorable mention All‑Sun Belt honors in 2023. After transferring to Tulane in 2024, he started 12 games and posted 34 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, and three pass breakups, earning Third‑Team All‑AAC accolades. Ransaw also turned heads with an elite 4.33‑second 40‑yard dash and a 40‑inch vertical at the NFL Combine, ranking him among the top cornerback athletes in his class. He showed his ball skills in the 2025 Senior Bowl with an interception in practice/game action. Ransaw is considered a physical, versatile defensive back with good instincts, strong tackling ability, and the character traits to develop into a reliable pro.

Strengths

• Elite Speed & Explosiveness: Ransaw ran a 4.33‑second 40‑yard dash with a 40‑inch vertical, grading out with an outstanding athletic profile (high RAS), which helps him stay with receivers and close quickly. Routinely showed sudden ability to click and close on ball carriers and get downfield in a hurry.

• Physicality in Run Support: He plays aggressively when coming downhill, showing willingness and ability to help against the run from the nickel or deep safety positions.

• Versatility Across Backfield Roles: Ransaw’s experience includes boundary corner, slot (nickel), and hybrid safety looks allowing creative license for his next level projection in the NFL.

• Coverage Competence in Zone Schemes: Capable in zone coverage, tracking the ball and staying disciplined with his responsibilities and has ability to make plays on the ball.

Weaknesses

• Man‑Coverage Consistency: As he operated closer to the LOS in college, his ability to stick in tight man coverage against quicker, more polished NFL receivers may potentially limit his early‑down role on the outside.

• Anticipation & Play Recognition: Ransaw is more reactionary than anticipatory. He occasionally shows delays in anticipation, which can lead to mis‑reads or late reactions in complex coverage schemes.

• Interception Production: While athletic and instinctive, his real‑game interception totals are modest (1 in college) relative to targets, and he’ll need to refine instincts at the pro level, especially if he is moved to deeper center fielder role.

• Injury/Availability Risk: Due to his smaller frame for an NFL safety, Ransaw may struggle to remain available. He spent his rookie year with the Jaguars on injured reserve, which could slow his early development and limit opportunities for meaningful snaps.

Outlook

Ransaw projects as a versatile defensive back with the athletic profile and physical traits to grow into a key piece of the Jaguars’ secondary, particularly in zone coverage and hybrid roles (nickel, big slot, or safety). His elite speed and explosiveness make him well‑suited for a defense that values sideline‑to‑sideline range, run support, and the ability to match up in a variety of alignments. Jacksonville’s initial plans for Ransaw were to try him in a deeper safety role but still lean on his swiss army knife strengths to show different looks at the line to confuse quarterbacks.. If he can improve consistency in tight man coverage, refine his anticipation skills, and stay healthy, he has the potential to grow into a three‑down defensive back, and may have challenged Andrew Wingard for a starting role if he did not suffer his preseason injury. His combination of speed, physicality, and versatility gives him a relatively high floor as a situational defender early in his career and the upside to become a regular starter who can impact both the run and pass games in a modern NFL defense.