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Rookie S Caleb Ransaw embodies 'Jaguars DNA,' quickly became Gladstone's preferred target
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- Rookie S Caleb Ransaw embodies 'Jaguars DNA,' quickly became Gladstone's preferred target
The Jacksonville Jaguars were purposeful when identifying what it means to be drafted by the club and introduced to the franchise's new ecosystem that is being built up from ground zero.
That's the language general manager James Gladstone , executive vice president Tony Boselli and head coach Liam Coen have used throughout the offseason and they stayed true to their words during the three-day NFL Draft.
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According to The Athletic's Mike Silver , who was in the Jaguars ' war room throughout the draft, the term "Jaguars DNA" is a "measurement — ranging from 1 to 9 — that gave weight to qualities such as competitiveness, mental and physical toughness and love of football," he wrote.
Something that wasn't listed — fearlessness — is another metric the team likely covets. Gladstone's backbone is built on it.
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"I know every step that I didn't take that related to fear, I regretted. So, that's not something I intend on doing the rest of my life," Gladstone said not long after making the bold move to trade up and take corner/receiver Travis Hunter .
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"So, I think it's also something that I would, if ever giving advice to anybody, which I don't say I should do all that often because each of us should sort of build off of our own experiences or observing those of others, but not being scared is something that goes a long way."
A player who seems to embody all of that is defensive back Caleb Ransaw, the team's first third-round pick out of Tulane.
"I'm coming in on day one, and I'm ready to work. I'm a baller, honestly. I'm versatile; I can play any spot. Wherever they want me to; special teams, any defensive back spot, I'm ready," Ransaw said shortly after being drafted in April.
Ransaw played corner his entire football career, both outside and inside (2023-24), showcasing his versatility at the position. At the Senior Bowl earlier this year, Ransaw got the opportunity to play safety and ran with it.
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"Senior Bowl, that was my turning point, basically, just showcasing more versatility and more things I can do. I just played safety the majority of my snaps and showcased that I have ball skills, catching the pick, I know how to make production on the ball. I'm also coming down to tackle, I'm closing space, coming down, making hits," Ransaw explained of his experience at the All-Star event.
"I'm not afraid."
Jaguars DB Caleb Ransaw excels in versatility, physicality and athleticism
Sep 9, 2023; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats running back Treshaun Ward (9) is tackled by Troy Trojans safety Caleb Ransaw (14) during the first quarter at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
Though he hadn't taken a deep dive into Ransaw when he arrived, Gladstone said over the weekend that the versatile defensive back from Louisiana (by way of Troy, Alabama) became a draft-day favorite of his after talking with Jaguars coaches and scouts.
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"One of the things that really jumps out more than anything is the versatility. As we look at that defensive back room, obviously the capacity to play corner, play safety, he showcased the post work at the All-Star Circuit that really jumped out. Obviously, if you were to ever look at his stat page, what stands out is his tackle ratio," Gladstone recalled.
Ransaw's career missed-tackle rate sits at a lowly 5%. He posted a missed-tackle percentage of 1.8 in 2023 with Troy, good for the third-best among qualified corners/safeties that year. He ranked 13th in 2024 with a missed-tackle rate of 7.5% among qualified safeties.
Sep 14, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Deion Burks (6) runs with the ball as Tulane Green Wave safety Caleb Ransaw (7) defends during the first half at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
For reference, this year's top-drafted safety, Georgia's Malaki Starks , ranked 30th in missed-tackle rate at 8.1%.
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"I've always known growing up how to wrap up and just make tackles. I've never been scared. I've got older brothers, so I was always the little one, and I'd try to beat my brothers up. That's just something that I've just done growing up, going and tackling, tackling dummies in practice, those types of things. It just translates into the game," Ransaw said.
According to PFF, Ransaw saw 275 snaps as a wide corner during his sophomore season at Troy before transitioning inside at nickel in 2023, posting 415 snaps at the position. He continued that effort after transferring to Tulane ahead of the 2024 season, where he saw 305 snaps in the slot.
"The root word of the position safety is safe, and he's somebody that can make sure that when there is someone who gets loose, he can get them down. You notice that the on-ball production isn't something that jumps out because he was put into a ton of man tasks, and his eyes weren't on the ball," Gladstone said, alluding to Ransaw's one-career interception and eight pass breakups.
"Once he got to the senior ball and he was playing with vision to the quarterback, playing from the post, he had a lot of on-ball production in that setting."
Ransaw secured an interception for the American team during the Senior Bowl while playing safety.
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Caleb Ransaw could become a starter as quickly as he can run
Feb 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tulane defensive back Caleb Ransaw (DB26) runs in the 40 yard dash during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Ransaw, 5-foot-11, 197 pounds, isn't the biggest defensive back, but he packs a punch as one of the best tackling DBs in his draft class.
Coen has close ties with Ransaw's former head coach, Jon Sumrall, who was with Coen at Kentucky in 2021. He even bought Sumrall's house when he was leaving Lexington. So, the head coach has some trust in Ransaw's former coaches and their evaluations of him as a prospect.
"Man, he's dynamic. He can run. One of the better tacklers in this draft. The leadership, the way that he communicates, the passion for the game," Coen said in April when asked about Ransaw.
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Ransaw ranked 71 out of 2,761 cornerbacks from 1987 to 2025 with a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.75. He posted elite grades in speed and explosiveness thanks to an impressive 4.33 40-yard dash and a 40-inch vertical jump. Ransaw added a 10-foot-9-inch broad jump. He'd rank 84th as a free safety and 108th all-time at strong safety.
Ransaw will start his career as a safety for Jacksonville, where he has a solid chance to see early playing time. The team is rebuilding a secondary that ranked dead last in pass defense and didn't live up to the task in run support. Jacksonville allowed former starting safety Andre Cisco to leave via free agency and brought in former Houston Texans safety Eric Murray to raise the floor of the room in general.
Who the Jaguars choose to start at the other safety position remains a mystery. Darnell Savage Jr . has a shot as a high-priced free-agent signing last year, but lacks the prowess as a tackler to fit what Jacksonville likes.
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The same can be said for Antonio Johnson , who appears to possess the chops as a tackler, but doesn't have near the speed of Ransaw nor the vision that a safety must play with.
The Jaguars believe they got an intangibly rich player in Ransaw, and he's ready to be used anywhere the team may need him.
"It's football at the end of the day. I know football and love football. Wherever they want to put me at. Same thing with the Senior Bowl; they put me at safety, and I made plays at safety. Nickel, I've been doing that, and I've made plays there, and also corner," said Ransaw.
"Wherever they see me best fit, I'm ready."
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Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: How Jaguars rookie S Caleb Ransaw will help secondary early
