Acornerback winning the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award would defy the odds, but Baltimore Ravens newcomer Jaire Alexander has a chance to earn the gong thanks to a specific technique.
The Ravens swooped for Alexander in free agency to gain a shutdown corner, and NFL.com Analyst Bucky Brooks believes the 28-year-old fits the bill thanks to “bump-and-run or shadowboxing technique.”
Brooks also believes Alexander throwing mitts at the air can help the former Green Bay Packers star “rediscover what once made him the highest-paid corner in the league.” Doing so would make Alexander a good comeback story, one perhaps worthy of an award if he can “shake the injury bug” that’s kept him out of 20 games the last two seasons.
Ultimately, the Ravens won’t care if Alexander appears at the annual NFL Honors ceremony or not. Their greater concern is fielding a secondary talented enough to improve last season’s erratic pass coverage and help a rising defense keep the team’s Super Bowl window open.
The process must start with locking down the elite wide receivers in the AFC North.
Ravens Need Answer for Tough WR Matchups
Adding Alexander will only look like a masterstroke from general manager Eric DeCosta if the player regains his two-time Pro Bowl level of play. If he does, the Ravens will have an answer for the tough coverage matchups they face multiple times in their own division.
Those matchups were outlined by Brooks, who believes a marquee cover man is “needed to compete against the AFC’s high-powered offenses. Divisional battles against Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, DK Metcalf and Jerry Jeudy are on the horizon, so Alexander will have a chance to show he’s still an elite corner with a bounce-back season.”
While Metcalf and Jeudy are newcomers to the North, joining the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, respectively, the Ravens already know what damage Higgins and All-Pro Chase can cause.
The latter burned Baltimore’s defensive backfield for 21 catches, 457 yards and five touchdowns across two games last season. His numbers were a far cry from when the Ravens held Chase to a mere two grabs and 12 yards in November 2023.
As Next Gen Stats revealed, “press coverage” worked to frustrate Chase.
The Ravens can repeat the same tactic now press expert Alexander is on the roster. Letting him play his preferred technique will help Alexander prove his skills haven’t diminished.
Jaire Alexander Has a Point to Prove
Alexander losing so much playing time to knee and shoulder injuries made it easy for people to forget how effective he can be in one-on-one matchups. What the Ravens want him to provide is a reminder of how uncomfortable he can make the game’s top receivers.
Some of the best examples came from Alexander’s long-running battles with Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson. Alexander (23) had success throwing hands at Jefferson early, like this jam at the line of scrimmage highlighted by Nate Tice of Yahoo! Sports.
Putting Alexander on the perimeter and letting him press can solidify a pass defense shredded for 4,468 yards last season, the second-most in the league. Things improved dramatically after head coach John Harbaugh changed his starting safeties in November, but there’s still work to be done.
The work can involve using Alexander’s comfort outside the numbers to move a veteran corner into a new role. Yet, that ploy would only work if Alexander stays healthy and plays to his old, lofty levels.
If he does, he’ll at least be in the running for some awards recognition.
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