The Baltimore Ravens came into the 2025 season with high expectations on both sides of the football. While the offense has lived up to those expectations for the most part, the defense has fallen far short. They are by far the worst defense in the NFL, and through five weeks, they have given up 37 or more points in four of those contests.
A ton of the hype on defense was surrounding the secondary. The unit struggled early in 2024, but reformed into one of the best in football late in the campaign. In the offseason, they only appeared to get better, but that increase in talent has yet to translate on the field. One of the biggest disappointments has been veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander.
Alexander signed with Baltimore in June after he was released by the Green Bay Packers. The one-year $4 million deal was seen as a steal at the time, but so far, his Baltimore tenure has been ugly.
Jaire Alexander looks washed just one month into 2025 season
Alexander got off to an ugly start in 2025. He posted a 29.8 defensive grade in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). He did not play in the following three games, as he was trying to recover from knee issues, but played in Week 5 against the Houston Texans due to the mounting injuries. However, he did not see a ton of action, taking just 28 snaps.
Alexander did not look great against Houston either. He allowed two catches on two targets for a passer rating of 118.8 when targeted, per PFF. His troubling day was highlighted by a 14-yard gain on a pass to wide receiver Nico Collins on a third-and-15 play, which led to a fourth-down conversion. The Texans scored a touchdown later on that drive.
The other play Alexander caught attention for was Houston rookie wideout Jaylin Noel’s first career touchdown. Noel did the Ray Lewis “Squirrel” dance after scoring, and Alexander, despite covering Jayden Higgins on the play, proceeded to track Noel down and rip the football away from him in a scuffle.
In a game where the Ravens needed someone to step up in the secondary with so many injuries, Alexander’s lack of impact was disappointing. The team made just seven defensive backs active on Sunday, which made it crucial that Alexander play a big-time role. Unfortunately, that did not happen, as Alexander’s slow start as a Raven continues.