Ryan Ramczyk says what makes J.J. Watt different than most defensive ends

They both played at Wisconsin, and come Monday, they'll be lined up against each other in the Monday night opener between the Saints and Texans.

New Orleans Saints Right Tackle #71, Ryan Ramczyk;  Credit: USA Today Sports

METAIRIE, La. —  Ryan Ramczyk has known about J.J. Watt for a long time.

Ramczyk was a junior in high school when the Houston Texans selected Watt in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. 

They're both from Wisconsin, and Ramczyk will tell you how the state supports any player who moves on from the Badgers' football program into the NFL. Especially players like them. Both are former Wisconsin walk-ons whose college careers began at different schools.

Everybody knows about Watt being a two-star tight end enrolled at Central Michigan. Then there's Ramczyk, who gave up football for a year before he played two seasons at NCAA Division III Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

He then transferred to Wisconsin, redshirted one season and played one standout season for the Badgers. In 2017, the Saints selected him with the No. 32 overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Come Monday, Ramczyk and Watt will face each other in a prime time game to start the season.

Ramczyk will be the starting right tackle. Watt will be at defensive end.

There won't be much time for chatter about cheese curds and bratwursts.

"His style of play is different than a lot of defensive ends," Ramczyk said. "Especially in both facets of the run game and the pass game. He's very good with his hands. He doesn't let you latch onto him. He plays with good separation."

Ramczyk said how Watt, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is "a powerful defensive end." 

"You have to respect his power," Ramczyk said. "But he's also got good speed. He can get the edge too. It's a balancing act."

Ramczyk knew since the schedule came out in April how he'd be starting the season against Watt, but he didn't let that consume his offseason. It was only last week when he began studying Watt and his pass rush moves.

"I definitely knew who I was going up against and it was going to be a challenge," Ramczyk said. 

Saints coach Sean Payton ID'd the matchup between Watt and Ramczyk as an important one, but certainly not the only one that matters between these two teams coming off playoff seasons.

His hope is that Ramczyk doesn't do much to draw attention to himself, because if he does, it might mean Watt is having the better night between the two.

Both being from Wisconsin, Ramczyk said he has met Watt once or twice, but only briefly. He knows Watt's brothers, Derek and T.J., a bit better because they played together at Wisconsin.

After the game Monday, there's a chance Ramczyk  and Watt could seek out each other for a postgame jersey swap. After all, both are from Wisconsin, former first-round NFL Draft picks and now will face each other for the first time in a game that matters.

"We'll see," Ramczyk said. "It'll be cool to talk to him after the game."