Eagles acquire two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander from the Baltimore Ravens
Alexander is set to join his third team in one year and could be a candidate to start on the outside opposite Quinyon Mitchell, but does the 28-year-old still have the chops to be an NFL starter?
The Eagles are adding another cornerback to the secondary ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline, agreeing to acquire Jaire Alexander and a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick on Saturday.
Alexander, 28, gives the Eagles another candidate to start on the outside opposite Quinyon Mitchell if Kelee Ringo and Adoree’ Jackson don’t have the long-term confidence of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
Howie Roseman has been in the process of bolstering the secondary this week, trading for former New York Jets slot cornerback Michael Carter II on Wednesday.
But does Alexander still have the chops to be an NFL starter in Year 8? He is set to join his third team in one year — the Green Bay Packers, the Ravens, and now the Eagles. The Packers are the team that drafted him, having moved up in the 2018 draft to select Alexander No. 18 overall out of Louisville.
The 5-foot-10, 196-pound cornerback played well for the Packers for his first five seasons from 2018-22, earning two Pro Bowl nods and two second-team All-Pro nominations (2020 and 2022).
In that five-year span, he started 62 games (64 games total) and posted 10 interceptions, 58 pass breakups, 244 tackles (11 for losses), two forced fumbles, and 1.5 sacks. He primarily played on the outside rather than the slot.
But Alexander’s last two seasons from 2023-24 in Green Bay were marred by knee injuries. He started in just seven games in each season. On June 9, the Packers released Alexander.
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The Ravens signed him later that month, reuniting with his former college teammate Lamar Jackson. Alexander was active for two games and played 61 defensive snaps total. While he has continued to deal with knee issues throughout his brief stint in Baltimore, he was also a healthy scratch on five occasions.
Alexander will reunite in Philadelphia with a familiar face in defensive backs coach Christian Parker, who was the defensive quality control coach in Green Bay from 2019-20. The Eagles will soon find out if Parker can get the most out of the veteran cornerback amid a rocky chapter of his NFL career.