The Green Bay Packers have seven former first-round NFL Draft picks on their defense. One of these players, cornerback Jaire Alexander, is widely believed to be among the best players at his position. Unfortunately, he has battled injuries and poor defensive coaching throughout his career and has not received all the accolades that he probably deserves.
To be sure, some of the struggles that he has had, particularly last season, were self-inflicted. Fans will recall his antics during the coin toss in Green Bay’s game against the Carolina Panthers. Alexander made himself a team captain, went out for the toss, and nearly cost the Packers’ the decision by saying the wrong thing after they had won the toss. Only the referee asking for clarification saved Green Bay from the consequences of Alexander’s decision.
The Packers suspended Alexander for their next game, a home contest against the Minnesota Vikings. In total, Green Bay’s star cornerback missed 10 games last year between injury and the suspension.
However, his talent and production on the field is evident, even when he goes through a rough stretch.
Green Bay Packers Cornerback Jaire Alexander Makes Pro Football Network’s Top-100 NFL Players List
On Monday the Pro Football Network released its list of the top-100 players in the NFL today. Three Packers players were ranked among the top 100, led by quarterback Jordan Love.
Alexander came in 90th on the list:
“Jaire Alexander’s high-end play is as good as nearly any NFL corner’s, but injuries have kept him off the field. A shoulder sprain cost him 13 games in 2021, while another shoulder issue kept Alexander on the sidelines for all but seven games in 2023.
“However, he earned second-team All-Pro nods in 2020 and 2022, allowing a sub-70 passer rating in both seasons. If he can stay healthy, Alexander is the best player on a rebuilt Packers defense.”
As noted above, injuries are a real concern for Alexander. Over the last three years, he has missed a total of 22 games due should injuries (23 games if one counts the suspension last year).
Also as noted, though, Alexander is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL when he is healthy. In addition to his two Second-Team All-Pro nods, he is also a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
As one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL, Alexander is expected to be an elite defender. A key defensive change the Packers made this offseason may help that kind of production from their star cornerback be a more regular thing.
Jaire Alexander Should Thrive Under New Green Bay Packers Defensive Coordinator Jeff Hafley
One of the first moves the Packers made this offseason was to fire embattled defensive coordinator Joe Barry. As mentioned earlier, Green Bay boasts seven former first-round NFL Draft picks on defense (they had eight when everyone was healthy last year; Darnell Savage signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars this spring). Unfortunately, Barry was never able to get the most out of such a talented roster.
To replace him, Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur hired Jeff Hafley, the head coach of Boston College. Hafley’s previous NFL coaching experience was as the defensive backs coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2013), Cleveland Browns (2014-15), and San Francisco 49ers (2016-18).
It was at his last NFL stop, with San Francisco, where he coached future Pro Football Hall of Famer Richard Sherman, who said of Hafley:
“I think ‘Haf’ is a great coach that focuses on the details. Always has a great plan and adjustments. His team will see the looks they will see on Sundays throughout the week because of the time he puts in studying and understanding offenses. He’s going to be a great fit.”
Alexander is going to benefit from having a coordinator who specializes in coaching defensive backs. With the changes that Hafley is bringing, fans could be in for the best season from Green Bay’s two-time Pro Bowl cornerback yet.
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