Kansas City Chiefs 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Jaire Alexander
By Ben Almquist
The Kansas City Chiefs already made a big move at cornerback with Kendall Fuller. However, they still need more players there, and Jaire Alexander of Louisville could be a star.
It’s pretty clear that the Kansas City Chiefs know they need to upgrade some areas on defense. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has already taken one major step there by acquiring Kendall Fuller in a trade with the Redskins. However, the secondary could still use some attention, and Jaire Alexander of Louisville could be a day two steal.
Kansas City’s starting cornerback group does appear to be set. The group of Marcus Peters, Kendall Fuller, and Steven Nelson should be solid. However, that doesn’t mean the Chiefs are done looking at corners. Utilizing the NFL draft to add even more talent to the position makes a lot of sense.
The KC defense will be best served by shoring up at least one area and building around that. The Chiefs already have a good start on the secondary, so it makes sense to keep going there. At the very least, this should prevent Kansas City from feeling like they need to drop our best pass rushers into coverage.
Jaire Alexander – CB – Louisville
NFLDraftScout.com Scouting Report
If the Kansas City Chiefs are looking for good value to add into their secondary, it’s hard to imagine anyone fitting that better than Jaire Alexander. He could have been a first-round prospect this year, but injury concerns will likely keep him around until day two of the draft. That’s a tough value to pass on for anybody.
Jaire Alexander is an aggressive corner who steps up to make plays. Excellent athlete who possesses near-perfect footwork in his backpedal and transitions. Rarely out of position and shows the quickness and speed to stay with his receivers. Plays strong in press and shows a willingness as a run defender. Smart player who will bait quarterbacks into making a mistake. Also serves as an excellent return man.
Stat To Know: In 2016, Jaire Alexander recorded 2 INTs and a FF against Clemson.
The big knock on Jaire Alexander right now is his health. Many scouts believe he should have returned for his senior year to offset a shortened junior season. Aggressiveness can lead to him being caught out of position. Will lower his head when making tackles, allowing savvy ball carriers to get away from him.
Loading Up The Secondary
It would appear that the Kansas City Chiefs are putting some effort into re-tooling the secondary. The Chiefs have already added Kendall Fuller, as well as Will Redmond, to the mix. That may make the group a bit crowded, but quality defensive backs isn’t an asset you can have too much of. Especially with young talent.
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Being able to consistently rotate in good pass defenders will give opposing offenses plenty of fits. It also means the Chiefs defense won’t suffer dramatically if an injury pops up. That’s been an Achilles heel of this team for some time now. The only way you fix that is by having tremendous depth on the roster.
The Chiefs defense is at its best when forcing turnovers. That means Kansas City wants to be sure to have plenty of guys who can take advantage of mistakes. That makes Jaire Alexander an ideal fit. If they can get him on day two of the draft, it should be an absolute steal. Cornerback may not be the top priority of KC, but it’s hard to pass on this kind of value.
The Kansas City Chiefs secondary is going to look very different in 2018, especially at cornerback. The Chiefs are (or at least should be) letting players walk that haven’t been effective. At the same time, Brett Veach is showing an aggressive approach at bringing in new talent. Hopefully this is something that continues.