It can be easy to get carried away after the first practice of training camp. Football is back in the air, and the regular season is closing in. For many offseason signings and rookies, this is the first real opportunity to make an impact on their new teams, which only makes fans more excited.
Cornerback Jaire Alexander is one of those players who is already blowing people away. Baltimore Ravens fans and media got a look at Alexander’s first training camp with the team after full-team practices opened up on July 23, and after one practice, he is looking like the biggest steal of the offseason.
Jeff Zrebic, the Baltimore Ravens reporter for The Athletic, highlighted Alexander’s performance on Wednesday. He showcased outstanding coverage and ball skills, which included a run-in with another NFL veteran Baltimore signed over the last few months in wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
The Jaire Alexander hype train is running full throttle
Alexander comes to Baltimore with worry. The injuries that have piled up over the past few seasons are no joke, and whether they have taken a toll on his former Pro Bowl self remains to be seen. What is known, though, is that he has been injury-prone. He only played 14 games between 2023 and 2024. However, he looked great to start camp, and at just $6 million on his one-year contract, the reward could be generational.
The 28-year-old is coming back from a torn PCL in 2024, but was moving very well on Wednesday. He proved it through drills and each rep. Quarterback Lamar Jackson, Alexander’s teammate at Louisville, knows the two-time Pro Bowler better than anyone on the team. He welcomed Alexander to Baltimore by testing him in the practice portion, but Alexander held his own.
“I tried [Alexander] out there today. I tried to get him on a fade route with D-Hop. We was a little bit out of bounds,” Jackson said. “But he’s still that guy.”
The Ravens defense was a disaster in 2024. Most of that responsibility fell on the secondary. Corner Brandon Stephens, who is now with the New York Jets, struggled giving up the big play. Safeties Marcus Williams and Eddie Jackson, who are both free agents, were net negatives on the backend. Alexander comes in adding a ton of talent, and should help resolve the issues that tormented Baltimore last year.
Of course, it is only one practice, but Alexander flashed early. He held his own and even got the upper hand against the best offense in the league, so it is safe to say the first practice was a success, and there is plenty more to come.