The Green Bay Packers’ training camp starts on July 22. In the meantime, I’ll be taking a look at each player on the roster, taking stock of their 2023 season and what to expect in 2024.
The first is cornerback Jaire Alexander, who is looking to regain his strength under up-to-date defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley:
Statistics worth knowing from 2023: Including the playoffs, Alexander appeared in nine games for the Packers. He was targeted 39 times, allowing him to graduate with a 71.8 percent, which is unfortunately the highest mark of his career. Alexander also gave up 13.0 yards per catch and totaled just one interception and six pass breakups. Opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of 107.1 when throwing to him.
What’s worth knowing from 2023: Injuries and a team-imposed suspension in Week 17 confined Alexander’s playing time last season. As the numbers indicate, it was largely a down season for Alexander, but after coming out of suspension his play improved significantly.
Before his suspension, Alexander had 24 shots on 31 targets at a rate of nearly 13.0 yards per catch with five pass breakups. But on the other hand, Alexander has thrown just four completions on eight targets at a rate of 6.8 yards per catch with an interception in the Packers’ last three games, two of which came in the playoffs.
Although it was Alexander who was suspended, Matt LaFleur made it clear that it was also a learning opportunity for him. In particular, there needs to be better communication between both sides to keep frustrations from boiling over throughout the season. By all accounts, that aspect of their relationship has improved significantly since then, including Alexander recently mentioning that he spoke to both LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst several times this offseason.
“I thought he responded, he did an outstanding job,” LaFleur said last season. “Sometimes, whether in football or in life, sometimes you go through difficulties and you come out better. I think Ja could sit here and tell you, as difficult as it has been, really to everyone here, I think our level of communication will be much clearer and more consistent. I think a lot of good has really come out of it.”
Looking ahead to 2024: One of the tasks at the top of Jeff Hafley’s to-do list as defensive coordinator is getting Alexander back to All-Pro form. While it’s ultimately up to the players to make plays, Hafley’s defense can aid with some of that ponderous lifting.
We will see more press opportunities for cornerbacks under Hafley, which fits well with Alexander’s skill set and should put him in a better position to make plays. The Packers’ secondary will also play with a more vision-based approach, with eyes on the quarterback, which will hopefully result in more plays on the football. Last season, it was a unit that recorded just seven interceptions.
The pace with which Alexander finished the 2023 season carried over into the offseason. He was present during all offseason programs, and LaFleur and Hafley praised him for the energy, competitiveness and leadership he showed every day.
“I Was Outstanding” – said Matt LaFleur. “Again, he’s been here every day, he shows up, he’s got a great attitude, he’s eager to learn, he’s competitive with the guys, he talks trash, which I love because I love just raising the level of competition in a fun way. It is never degrading. I think he was a great teammate and a great leader for us.”
