Written by Claudia Sly
With the 18th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers selected Louisville cornerback Jaire Alexander, after a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.
Originally from North Carolina, Alexander started playing football in high school. When he continued in college, he brought everything he had to the field. He was looking to attend South Carolina but made the decision to go to Louisville after visiting the campus. He impressed everyone there, making an early impact during the spring campaign. Alexander played in 12 games with one start as a true freshman and finished with 19 tackles and one interception. He was also the top punt returner on the team, averaging 9.7 yards a return.
In 2016, he developed into one of the most physical cornerbacks in the country and was named second-team All-ACC. He finished with 39 tackles, 14 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He also led the team with five interceptions. A few injuries set him slightly back into the 2017 season, but he never let that stop him. Alexander was still considered one of the top players in the secondary.
Standing at just over 5’ 10” and weighing 192 pounds, he is on the smaller side but that shouldn’t affect him too much. Since he is a physical, quick-twitch corner his lack of height shouldn’t have too much of an impact on the field. Alexander fills a huge need for the Green Bay Packers. He could start on the outside, or in the slot alongside fellow cornerbacks Tramon Williams and Kevin King.
Alexander is very fast and is able to anticipate routes and make plays on the ball. He is determined to succeed and has been said to have impressive qualities such as keeping his eyes on the quarterback when he is able to, spotting traffic from zone coverage and squeezing passing lanes. He uses his size to maneuver through the field.
An AFC defensive backs coach describes Alexander last season as, “It looked like he kind of cruised by sometimes this year like he was trying not to get hurt. You can see that talent, man. He can stay on you all over the field and he was one of the smoothest ones I saw at the Combine.”
The Packers are excited to use Alexander and his many talents going into the 2018 NFL season.
