OFFICIAL 2018 1ST ROUND PICK Jaire Alexander

Starr To Dowler

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I don't have a lot to offer that hasn't been said yet, but thought I would at least add a perspective from someone who has seen him play. We live in Kentucky, and one of our homes is in a Louisville suburb. I get up there from time to time and catch a game, and I really like this kid. I agree that the injury may have been just enough to keep him below the horizon for a lot of teams, or he would have gone earlier. Here are the pluses and minuses, the way I see it...

He has NFL-level speed and ball instincts right now, plus very fluid hips and an excellent change-of-direction. The downside is that when I've seen him, he seems to rely on his speed to make up for occasional poor coverage decisions - that won't work as well at this level. I think that's also a reason that he's better at defending intermediate or deep routes - his coverage is not as effective on short passes, and I think it's because he doesn't have the time to use his speed.

He's a scrapper when he has a shot at stealing a ball or breaking up a pass, but not physically aggressive when tackling. His run support is weak, and he doesn't tackle well in the open field. He's not going to tattoo many receivers. I think that's because his build is very slim, and he just shies away from really hard physical contact. He also uses his hands way too much; coaches are going to be all over him in training camp on that one.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is his attitude - which is a little surprising, since he certainly has one. He's a very cocky kid, but in a good way, a matter-of-fact way. He's extremely confident in his abilities. He's said many times here in the local media that he's the best DB in the draft, and openly boasts of being the best shutdown corner in college football. And the tape bears that out - he basically took away his entire half of the field from every quarterback they faced this season. Opposing QBs had a passer rating of just 17.7 when throwing at him. Part of that is probably the way he has of getting inside the receivers' and the quarterbacks' heads - he's a pure, loudmouthed trashtalker, and drives receivers and quarterbacks straight-up nuts.

Short version is, his basic skills are exceptional, and most of his weaknesses are coachable - and keep in mind, he'll be the youngest player on the team. He came out a year early. Other than his size and his frame, just about every weakness is coachable, and he has a good reputation here for coachability. I imagine he'll be carrying another 10 pounds or so by August, but he's never going to be a Nick Collins in the secondary. You're not going to see many highlight reel, knock-the-helmet-off tackles from him. But you should get a solid, shutdown cornerback with blinding speed, super-glue hands, and a chance for a pick-6 2 or 3 times each game.
 

bigboypasses

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I think you are correct in that many thought before the draft that James has that potential, but 16 teams chose other players. Now I get the QB needy teams not picking him, but that still leaves 12 other teams and 12 other players, that were considered a better pick than James. 13, if you include the Packers.
How many of those top 15 Teams gave up over a 100 QB rating this past season?
 

Pokerbrat2000

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If GB's track record of picking CB's tells us anything, we are in for another long year.

The problem is the packers drafted 4 CB's in the past 3 years and let one of the best in the league go ( Hayward)

We drafted Hayward didn't we?

Try to stay consistent throughout your rants, it will seem more professional.
 

hallzi43

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Nobody thought hayward was a pro bowl prospect when we let him go. Playing corner on a team with Bosa and Ingram rushing the passer certainly helps his stock.

Hyde made pro bowl as a safety and not a corner.
 

swhitset

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James would have definitely been an upgrade over Jones though.
While true ... I don't think giving up on a promising player a year after drafting him is a very good way to build a team. As good as James might be... if Jones turns out to be even slightly above average... The Packers may be better off improving the CBs rather than dumping a second year 2nd round draft pick.
 

Firethorn1001

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So we draft DB's miss on 80% and then the ones who are decent we get rid of. That's how you end up with the worst secondary in the league including the oldest corner in the league.

Not sure where the 80% miss stat is coming from, but apply that criteria to the rest of the league and see where the Packers are at.

To not draft a player just because there are past mistakes is just as silly as not drafting a player because there is some odd size requirement. The reason you are upset is because you think you are smarter than everyone else in the room and they didn't pick the player you wanted. They've drafted a position of need for a player that was highly rated (not a reach) and by all accounts fleeced the Saints.

Maybe Alexander flames out and you can come back and go all Nelson "Ha! Ha!" Muntz on us in the future, but right now what occurred was pretty solid by all accounts.

But.. you want to be upset, have at it.

By the way, if you respond, you'll be talking to air... I've moved on. Have a nice day.
 

Pokerbrat2000

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Hayward is the only decent CB we have drafted in the last 10 years.Hyde was a swiss army knife but wasn't great.
Yeah, King Sucks. Signing Shields as an UDFA was stupid.

The thing that just doesn't make sense to me with your argument(s), because you have plenty mixed in (and up), your premise is that Alexander is an immediate bust, because he is a CB, drafted by the Packers, but we should have drafted James or Edmunds, because they are both locks to be elite?

I feel like I signed up for a gun fight and one of us only brought a butter knife.
 
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GleefulGary

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And we got rid of both of them. My point exactly.

You're not making a point.

We shouldn't draft a CB, because we're good at drafting them and then let them leave?

Fwiw, letting them leave was more bc of the defense we played. They simply didn't play as well here as they did elsewhere. That's not on the GM. He found the talent.
 

GleefulGary

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Back to Alexander.

I think by the end of the year he's our CB1. I'd be surprised if he isn't.

I would say by Week 1, but I'm hedging myself a bit. He's already better than King imo.

Very much in the mold of Sam Shields/Chris Harris. Smaller, pure cover corner. Very effective in press man. I love him.
 

PackerFanLV

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Please don't ever compare Sean Taylor to Kam frickin Chancellor. Or Derwin James.

Taylor is the greatest safety to ever do it, except for maybe Ed Reed. Respect the game, brocephus.
You lost your marbles if you don’t think bam bam is not a top tier saftey. Leave your personal issues out of this.
 

GleefulGary

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You lost your marbles if you don’t think bam bam is not a top tier saftey. Leave your personal issues out of this.

Bam Bam?

Chancellor is a good safety against the run. I'm being generous by saying he's average at best in coverage. Earl Thomas covers a ton of his mistakes.

Sean Taylor was elite in coverage and against the run. Chancellor has nothing on ST. It's like the difference between Revis Island and Damarious Randall.
 

GleefulGary

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In regards to trading a 1st for a couple 2nds or whatever...remember that a 1st round pick has a team optional 5th year. If you pick a good player, it gives you another year at a "cheap" rate...and that matters.
 

swhitset

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Yeah, King Sucks. Signing Shields as an UDFA was stupid.

The thing that just doesn't make sense to me with your argument(s), because you have plenty mixed in (and up), your premise is that Alexander is an immediate bust, because he is a CB, drafted by the Packers, but we should have drafted James or Edmunds, because they are both locks to be elite?

I feel like I signed up for a gun fight and one of us only brought a butter knife.
More like a plastic spoon.
 

PikeBadger

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The people whose opinions actually matter--NFL GM's--did not think Derwin James was a top 10 talent. In fact, they didn't think he was a top 15 talent. People need to stop taking media rankings so seriously.
The media people with all their big boards, evaluations and meaningless mock drafts do not run NFL football teams. I saw guys drafted last night that were in the 60’s, 70’s and 90’s on big board lists. In the end, the only people that matter are the 32 GM’s. Everything else is just noise and clatter.
If you want to figure out what Green Bay might do, Mike Mayock seems to be pretty good at forecasting our picks. Maybe loud mouth Ted is whispering to him. :eek:
 

Pokerbrat2000

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Mike Mayock seems to be pretty good at forecasting our picks. Maybe loud mouth Ted is whispering to him. :eek:

If you are following Mayock and trust him, the Packers pick (if they stand pat), may be in this group then.

39. Austin Corbett, OL, Nevada
40. Connor Williams, OL, Texas
41. Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
42. Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan
43. Nathan Shepherd, DT, Fort Hays State
44. Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa
45. Billy Price, C, Ohio State
46. Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford
47. Derrick Nnadi, DT, Florida State
48. Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M
49. James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State
50. Anthony Miller, WR, Memphis
 

RRyder

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Back to Alexander.

I think by the end of the year he's our CB1. I'd be surprised if he isn't.


I would say by Week 1, but I'm hedging myself a bit. He's already better than King imo.

Very much in the mold of Sam Shields/Chris Harris. Smaller, pure cover corner. Very effective in press man. I love him.

Hold on. So people who aren't happy with passing on James for Alexander should sit back and give him a chance first because nobody knows for sure how good either will be but the other side just gets to say $#!@ like this? Wtf?

In all likelihood it would be a feat for him to supplant King on the outside much less Tramon this season. Expecting him to he more then the nickel back isnt a realistic expectation
 

Spanky

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I don't see how anyone can have truly strong opinions on the draft right now (like the one's I'm seeing in this thread). We're not experts, and even the experts are wrong much of the time.

I like what Gutekunst did, but perhaps Alexander ends up being a bust. Perhaps Derwin James becomes a hall of famer. Perhaps he's a bust. We don't know for certain--so people should probably stop acting they do know for certain how this ends up.
 

RRyder

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I don't see how anyone can have truly strong opinions on the draft right now (like the one's I'm seeing in this thread). We're not experts, and even the experts are wrong much of the time.

I like what Gutekunst did, but perhaps Alexander ends up being a bust. Perhaps Derwin James becomes a hall of famer. Perhaps he's a bust. We don't know for certain--so people should probably stop acting they do know for certain how this ends up.

So never discuss whether an addition to the team was a good idea?

Not a great idea

Fyi this same logic could be used for FA acquisitions too. I mean at least half of all big FA signings generally end up backfiring on their new teams and handicapping the team that signs them with their new contracts because it can be tough to tell how a guy will perform in a new scheme in a new location.

So since that's about the same rate that 1st round picks generally bust we shouldn't talk about FA either I guess. Pretty much nothing but raw stats are allowed to be discussed as nobody here breaks down game film either so I guess talking about how a player performed on Sunday isnt on the table either.

We're all giving our opinions and projections based on limited intell. Same as we do for literally every other topic on this board
 

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