Ranking the Packers (No. 7): Jaire Alexander

Jaire Alexander has the talent to be a star. Perhaps the pairing with veteran defensive backs coach Jerry Gray will propel him to greatness.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In a tradition that stretches more than a decade, here is our annual ranking of the 90 players on the Green Bay Packers’ roster. This isn’t merely a look at the best players. Rather, it’s a formula that combines talent, salary, importance of the position, depth at the position and, for young players, draft positioning. More than the ranking, we hope you learn a little something about every player on the roster.

No. 7: CB Jaire Alexander (5-10, 196, third season, Louisville)

Fresh off an all-rookie season in 2018, Alexander entered 2019 with the highest of expectations.

“I see myself in the Pro Bowl. I see myself as an All-Pro,” Alexander said during camp. “Last year was a great starting point for me, but this year is going to be my dog year. I’m putting my stamp on that.”

Alexander fell short of those lofty goals, but it was a strong second season, nonetheless. He recorded a team-high 23 passes defensed, according to the coaches’ count, and intercepted two passes. By the official league stats, he tied for fourth with 17 passes defensed. Passing judgement on defensive backs is difficult without knowing coverage calls. Regardless of the source, Alexander was much better last season. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed a 56.1 percent catch rate in 2019 compared to 64.6 percent in 2018. According to Pro Football Reference, it was 53.6 percent compared to 64.8 percent. According to Sports Info Solutions, it was 47.0 percent compared to 57.5 percent. Of 87 corners to play at least half the coverage snaps, he ranked 42nd with 11.1 snaps per reception, according to PFF. He was 71 of 81 as a rookie with 8.4 coverage snaps per reception.

“He’s very sticky,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said before the December matchup. “He can get in and out of his breaks. He’s very competitive. We liked him coming out; thought he was a good player.”

Alexander is fearless and supremely confident. He’s good enough to shadow the opponent’s best receiver every week, whether it’s a crafty veteran like Emmanuel Sanders (who Alexander dominated in matchups against Denver and San Francisco) or a physical freak like Seattle’s D.K. Metcalf (who Alexander faced at times in the playoff game).

“He’s a very talented guy. He’s made plays. He doesn’t have fear out there,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “He doesn’t have that ‘itis’ where you’re a little scared when the big-time receiver comes to town and you don’t want to play or you’re scared to get beat. He doesn’t have that. He looks for those challenges.”

What stands out about Alexander is that his game is so well-rounded. While he missed 14 tackles, according to Sports Info Solutions, it had nothing to do with desire, tenacity or toughness. He almost never turned down an opportunity to get into the action. One of the unsung plays of the season was Alexander’s hustle tackle of Detroit’s Kenny Golladay on a flea-flicker to start the Week 6 game. Alexander saved a touchdown and the Packers held the Lions to a field goal – a four-point swing that obviously loomed large in Green Bay’s 23-22 victory.

“Like I tell all the young guys, I got the knowledge to get you where you have to go. Now, it’s up to you to want to work to get there,” new defensive backs coach Jerry Gray, a standout cornerback before embarking on a long coaching career, said during an offseason Zoom call. “That knowledge, I’m not going to force it on you but I’m going to try to give (it to) you and let you be the best corner in the league. I’m fortunate enough to have guys like Xavier (Rhodes) and Antoine Winfield and Nate Clemens and Samari (Rolle) and DeAngelo (Hall). I could just name about another five guys that have actually made it to the Pro Bowl because they took the knowledge. They went out there and played and they played at a high level, and then they become one of the highest-paid guys in the league. If that’s their goal, I can help you get there. If you want to be the Pro Bowl guy, I can help you get there. If you want to be an All-Pro, I can try to help you get there. But you’ve got to put your work in. I’ll give you the knowledge but you’ve got to put the work in.”

Those are Alexander’s goals. He has the talent. He has the desire. Perhaps this will be the year in which he becomes a household name.

Why he’s so important: Alexander is by far the best cornerback on a roster that’s short of proven starting talent at the position.

“It’s not a surprise that he’s playing at the level that he is,” defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said late in the season. “You see him in the meeting room, he comes in and it’s obvious that he’s watched film. He’s asking the right questions. He wants the challenge. Then you just watch him on the practice field. This isn’t a guy who’s out there worried about staying warm. He’s out there to get better. It’s been real nice to see his progression from a year ago and see him playing at such a high level.”