BIOGRAPHY
Ryan Ramczyk was born April 22, 1994, in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. He is an offensive tackle in the NFL. He played college football at Wisconsin, and was drafted by the Saints in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. A native of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Ramczyk attended four different schools before transferring to Wisconsin–Madison in 2014, where he became an All-American lineman for the Badgers in the 2016 season.
Ramczyk attended Stevens Point Area Senior High School in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, where he played high school football. He was a First Team All-State selections by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association in 2011, and was invited to play in the 2012 WFCA All-Star Game in Oshkosh.
Leaving Winona State before the football season began, Ramczyk enrolled first at Madison Area Technical College, then Mid-State Technical College in Stevens Point, for one semester each. In 2013, he transferred to the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, where his former high school coach had taken a job on the football staff. In what was technically his freshman season, Ramczyk played in all 10 games and was named Second Team All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The following season, he earned First Team All-WIAC honors.
When Paul Chryst became head coach at Wisconsin–Madison, Ramczyk reached out and decided to transfer. He was named the starter at the left tackle position for 2016, succeeding Tyler Marz. Ramczyk was named First Team All-Big Ten on November 30, 2016.
NFL draft experts and analysts projected Ramczyk to be a first round pick. He had pre-draft visits with multiple teams, that included the New York Giants, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, and New England Patriots. He was ranked the top offensive tackle available in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com, ESPN, Pro Football Focus, and NFL media analyst Bucky Brooks. Ramczyk was ranked the second best offensive tackle in the draft by Sports Illustrated and NFL media analyst Mike Mayock.
The New Orleans Saints selected Ramczyk in the first round (32nd overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft. The pick used to draft Ramczyk was acquired from the New England Patriots in exchange for Brandin Cooks. Ramczyk made his NFL debut on September 11, 2017, in the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. Starting at left tackle made him the first Saints' rookie to start at left tackle in a season opener since Jim Dombrowski in 1986. He started the first four games at left tackle in place of the injured Terron Armstead. He moved over to right tackle after Zach Strief was lost for the season with a knee injury. He then started 12 games at right tackle, and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
During the 2018 season, Ramczyk started the first 15 regular season games and both postseason contests at right tackle. Against the N.Y. Giants, Ramczyk was part of a line that blocked for RB Alvin Kamara rushing for a career-high 139 yards and career-best three rushing touchdown. Against the L.A. Rams, he blocked for an offense that didn’t surrender a sack for the second consecutive week and gained 487 total net yards. At Cincinnati, Ramczyk blocked for an offense that did not surrender a sack for the third consecutive week and gained over 500 total yards. Against Philadelphia, he blocked for a line that did not surrender a sack for the fourth consecutive week and gained over 500 total yards. In the NFC Divisional Playoff vs. Philadelphia, Ramczyk paved the way for the Saints rushing attack that recorded 137 yards on the ground.
In his second season, he was named second-team All-Pro, the first Saints offensive lineman to earn the honor since guard Jahri Evans in 2013.
In 2020, the Saints exercised Ramczyk's fifth-year option. On June 30, 2021, Ramczyk signed a five-year, $96 million contract extension with the Saints, worth $60 million in guarantees.
