There are few players as intriguing on the Green Bay Packers defense as two-time All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander. Also a two-time Pro Bowl selection, Alexander is one of the highest-paid players at his position, a testament to how good he can be. Indeed, when healthy, Alexander established himself as one of the premier cornerbacks in the NFL.
However, staying healthy as been a struggle in recent seasons for Alexander. His 16 games played in 2022 was sandwiched by seasons in which he missed 10 or more games. He played just four games in 2021 after a horrific shoulder injury and just seven games last year due to various injuries (and a one-game suspension from the team).
Last season, there were also some serious questions regarding Alexander’s attitude towards the defensive coaching staff, namely defensive coordinator Joe Barry. These concerns, along with his injuries, led to a down year in 2023.
However, many still consider him a top-10 cornerback in the NFL.
Green Bay Packers Cornerback Jaire Alexander Is Ranked Seventh in Latest ESPN Poll
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently ran a poll of NFL coaches, executives, and scouts in an effort to find the consesus top-ten players at each position. On Thursday, he released the results for the cornerback position.
Alexander came in seventh:
“Once a top-three corner, Alexander could use a bounce-back season.
“He missed 10 games in 2023, one via suspension for anointing himself a game captain against the Carolina Panthers and nearly botching the coin toss. This comes two years after he missed 13 games.
“‘He’s been up and down, but he’s always good against Justin Jefferson,’ an NFC executive said. ‘The guys who match up well with the top guys will always be on the list.’
“Last season, Alexander allowed a 114.5 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks as the nearest defender.”
In last year’s rankings of this nature, Alexander came in fourth.
With how poorly his 2023 season was, it would not have been surprising to see him fall off of this list. Indeed, some of the people polled did leave him off their lists.
However, the fact that he is still ranked seventh after such a poor season is a testament to how good he can be. Hopefully, 2023 will prove to be an outlier season and he will return back to form in 2024.
Green Bay Packers Cornerback Jaire Alexander Is Going to Bounce Back
One of the most important moves the Packers made this offseason was to fire Barry and replace him with Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley. A former defensive backs coach, Hafley has experience working with some of the best defenders in the game, including future Pro Football Hall of Famer Richard Sherman.
Hafley’s defense is going to be a 4-3 scheme, which is different than the 3-4 Green Bay has run since the days of Dom Capers. His philosophy also takes the pressure off of his players in that they get to play reactionary football based on their instincts.
Barry’s defense called for too much thinking and often did not put players in the best position to succeed. Hafley is going to make sure that Alexander is where he needs to be to have the best impact on the game.
By doing so, he is also putting him in position to possibly have the best year of his career.
