Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (23) reacts after intercepting a pass during the first quarter of the wild card playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, January 14, 2024 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Panthers linked to Packers superstar Jaire Alexander as potential trade target

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Tim Weaver | Last updated May 23, 2025 10:30 AM ET

Cornerback is definitely not the greatest roster need for the Carolina Panthers right now, despite what some analysts will tell you. In fact, it's one of their stronger position groups - with three solid players (and one star) projected to start.

That said, it's also true that you can never have too much cornerback depth in the modern NFL - and doubling down on your roster strengths over time is how you build Super Bowl teams. And so trading for another star corner to pair with Jaycee Horn will be a popular idea for the Panthers throughout the rest of the offseason.

At the moment Jalen Ramsey of the Miami Dolphins is the name most-commonly connected with Carolina - on account of his history with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. Ramsey will no doubt have a lot of suitors if Miami does end up putting him on the trade block, though.

With that in mind there are a few other high-end corners worth considering. Anthony Rizzuti at Panthers Wire recently put together a list of them, including Green Bay Packers superstar Jaire Alexander.

"Alexander, like Ramsey, is a certified stud whose contract would require a bit of tinkering to accomodate. The 28-year old is locked in for 2025 and 2026 for an average cap hit of approximately $25.8 million... A move for Alexander, however, would give Horn a much more formidable running mate and - assuming Jackson gets knocked down a spot - provide the defense with some much-needed depth at cornerback."

Taking a swing for a difference-maker like Alexander is definitely a good idea in theory, but as Rizzuti mentioned Alexander's contract is a bit of a spicy meatball and at the moment Carolina only has around $12.62 million in effective space according to Over the Cap.

Adjusting big contracts for a major trade is normal, though - and the Packers will have a pretty good incentive to deal Alexander after June 1, when the math changes for a potential trade. If they deal him before that deadline they only save around $7.6 million and take a dead cap hit of $17 million. After June 1 those numbers basically reverse.

Alexander is still in his prime at 28 years old and should continue to play the game's most-challenging position at a high level for several more seasons. If the Panthers believe they can swing a deal for a player like that without giving up too much it's worth a hard pursuit.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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