The Baltimore Ravens added former Green Bay Packers star cornerback Jaire Alexander. One of his new teammates in the secondary, safety Kyle Hamilton, is thrilled with the signing.
“Great addition,” Hamilton said, according to Pro Football Talk. “He’s been one of the best in this league since he got in it. To have anybody like that, no matter what position, especially as a DB, it’s super valuable.”
Alexander spent seven seasons with the Packers, the organization that drafted him in the first round in 2018. The Ravens’ secondary will now feature five former first-round picks: Alexander, Ravens 2024 first-round pick Nate Wiggins, 2021 first-round pick Hamilton, 2025 first-round pick Malaki Starks at free safety, and 2017 first-round pick Marlon Humphrey at cornerback.
Alexander wasn’t the only big-time addition to the Ravens’ secondary. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins signed a one-year deal after getting traded to the Kansas City Chiefs midseason last year.
Hopkins has already made a positive impression on his new teammates during Baltimore’s offseason program.
“I like D-Hop,” Marlon Humphrey said. “I’ve gotten to have some conversations with him. He is ‘Mr. Contested Catch.’ That is for sure. Just having a conversation with him, I thought it was really humbling.
“We asked him — me and one of the strength coaches — ‘What do you think about the team from the outside looking in since you’ve been on other teams?’ And he said, ‘It seems like there’s been a piece that’s been missing. I could be that addition. I could not be that addition.’ To hear a veteran guy, All-Pro guy, and Pro Bowl guy say he could be, or he could not be [the piece that’s missing], to me, that was extremely humbling. I feel that he fits the Ravens mold, and I think he’ll fit right in.”
It’ll be interesting to see if these additions can help the Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson finally get over the hump and reach the Super Bowl.