Packers sign first-round CB Alexander

First-round pick Jaire Alexander signed his rookie contract with the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday.

Alexander, the 18th overall pick in the 2018 draft, receives a signing bonus of $6.5 million on a four-year deal worth approximately $11.6 million. All first-round picks are granted an option held by the team for a fifth year.

Alexander wore his new Packers' jersey when he received his diploma at the University of Louisville on Saturday. He's expected to start in a revamped secondary.

Alexander's position coach at Louisville was former NFL cornerback Terrell Buckley, who played at Florida State and with the Packers. Green Bay drafted Buckley in the first round in 1992.

But Buckley only played three seasons in Green Bay before then-GM Ron Wolf let him go and adopted a policy not to draft cornerbacks under 5-10 1/2. Alexander, though, measured at 5-10 1/4 at the NFL Scouting Combine.

"He's a dynamic explosive athlete, so we felt really good about kind of making (an exception). And, he was kind of right on the (border) line there," first-year GM Brian Gutekunst said. "I liked his aggressiveness, liked his competitiveness. He plays with a passion for the game. He's certainly not afraid to accept challenges. Those are things we look for in all the players we try to acquire. It's certainly something that attracted us to him."

--Field Level Media