The Green Bay Packers have a few very good building blocks on their roster to lead them into the franchise’s next era. With Aaron Rodgers being traded to the New York Jets, other players are going to have to step up and become leaders for the team.
One player who could do so, at least on the defensive side of the ball, is cornerback Jaire Alexander. A first-round pick out of Louisville in the 2018 NFL Draft, Alexander has blossomed into a star in the secondary.
Last season, he was one of the best pass defense performers in the league, finishing fifth in passer rating allowed. Had he not aged out, he would have certainly finished on the top 25 under 25 list for the 2023 season as well.
Lists are very popular during this downtime in the NFL and Alexander has found himself on yet another one. Over at ESPN, Jeremy Fowler shared rankings of the cornerback position from executives, coaches and scouts around the league.
Alexander found himself in a great spot once again, finishing fourth on that list. It is back-to-back years that he has landed inside the top-five, as he took a slight step back from No. 3 last season with Sauce Gardner of the Jets breaking onto the list at No. 2.
“Ultra-competitor with great ball skills so good things usually happen when he’s on the field,” a veteran NFL scout said. “Has ideal man-to-man matchup traits.”
Despite standing at only 5’10”, Alexander brings more than enough toughness and activity to make up for his frame. Last season he recorded five interceptions, tying his career high and showcasing elite playmaking skills. He also recorded 14 passes defended.
“Smart, competitive, tough, can play inside or outside, run support and ball awareness,” a senior NFL personnel executive said.
Whatever the task is that Alexander needs to get completed, he is capable of handling it. Quarterbacks completed only 59.8 percent of their passes in which he was the closest target as well.
In addition to Gardner, only Patrick Surtain II and Jalen Ramsey finished ahead of him on the list. There are a lot of good, young cornerbacks currently in the NFL so Alexander will have to continue playing at a high level to keep his spot in the rankings heading into the future.