Packers Trade Up for Jaire Alexander in 2018 NFL Draft, Leave Twitter Torn

The Green Bay Packers just added to their secondary on Thursday when they selected former Louisville cornerback Jaire Alexander No. 18 overall in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.

To select Alexander, the Packers made a deal with the Seattle Seahawks to move up seven spots. 

Twitter had a lot to say about the addition of Alexander to Green Bay's secondary:

Alexander earned second-team All-ACC honors in 2016, but knee and hand injuries hampered last season. He recorded 77 total tackles, seven interceptions and 15 passes defended during his three seasons in a Cardinals uniform.

Charlie Campbell of Walter Football noted some teams red-flagged Alexander because of issues "relating to his knee."

When healthy, he was a playmaker—in the secondary and in the return game. He averaged 9.9 yards per punt return in his college career, taking one back 69 yards to the house. The return game is where his 4.38-second 40-yard dash speed is on full display.

After an impressive combine, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller ranked Alexander as the third-best cornerback in the draft.

It's tough to succeed at the highest level without having confidence. Well, there's no doubt that this 21-year-old believes in himself.

"I assure them that you're getting a versatile player, a guy who can lock everything down," Alexander said, per Jake Lourim of the Louisville Courier Journal. "Very rare that you see a pass getting caught on me. A pass getting caught on me, it's almost history in the making."

What team wouldn't want a player with that type of confidence?

And for anyone who thinks the 5'10" defensive back is undersized, he has a message for the doubters.

"I just tell them to turn on the tape," Alexander said on PFT Live. "That'll say it all. I also have to say that size doesn't matter especially when you're a DB. I may look shorter than a receiver, but in my mind I'm bigger than him. He can't get by me. That's the mentality that I have at corner."

Green Bay is getting a talented player in Alexander. With his versatility, he can impact a game in more ways than one.

The Packers struggled against the pass in 2017, giving up the third-highest opponent completion percentage (67.8) and tied for the second-most touchdown passes allowed (30). 

After getting a taste of life without Aaron Rodgers last season when he missed nine games with a broken collarbone, the Packers had to add impact talent if they want to become a legitimate Super Bowl contender again. 

Alexander addresses a glaring weakness on Green Bay's defense, boosting the team's hopes for a playoff run in 2018.