Ram air Snorkel Alternative?

Planning to remove my fender/wheel well liners when trimming the fenders. Since the primary air intake on the passenger side wheel well will be exposed to dirt and debris I'd like to block it off and use the AFE intake above the radiator as the only air source. Any issues that could result from this?

 

You should be just fine - plenty of air will get through. It might work better than having both sources of air.

First of all, I'm not an anti-CAI guy. On many vehicles they serve their purpose. I had that exact AFE setup with the ram scoop and it was fine - I'm sure it helped with a little more towing torque on the high end, but it made it a little more sluggish off the line and in low gears. When I got an OVTune it stayed the same pretty much - I just had better highway driving and better fuel economy. After a year, I decided to experiment and popped back on the stock intake with a reusable AFE drop-in and the pep returned. VERY noticeably.
I think it was simply sucking in too much air and not adjusting accordingly. No idea really . All I know is that it's MUCH more responsive without the CAI.

You may have a totally different experience. We all know these trucks in many regards are different animals from one to the other.

Incidentally, I have that AFE CAI setup for sale (if that isn't a pic of your truck in your post and just an example). It'll be cheap!
That goes for anyone who wants it