When approached by local reporters after the Green Bay Packers’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Playoffs, two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander declined to speak. In his brief answer, he stated, “I don’t know if I am even coming back next year,” and claimed he had nothing good to say.
These words, combined with Alexander’s lengthy injury history, have caused many to conclude that the two-time Second Team All-Pro and the Packers are on the verge of divorce.
With their best cornerback likely on his way out, and Eric Stokes about to become a free agent, Green Bay is desperate for quality depth in their defensive secondary. And, given that general manager Brian Gutekunst stated in his season-ending news conference that it is time for his team to begin competing for Super Bowls, many believe the Packers could hit a home run with Alexander’s successor.
The Green Bay Packers may trade for Cleveland Browns’ Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward to replace Jaire Alexander.
While the Packers have some serious issues about Alexander, the Cleveland Browns have comparable questions about two of their top defensive players.
Myles Garrett, who many Green Bay fans would like to see in Green and Gold, has formally requested a trade. If Cleveland grants his request, Denzel Ward, a four-time Pro Bowl cornerback, may also consider leaving the Browns.
Ward told reporters during an interview in New Orleans earlier this week ahead of Super Bowl LIX:
“I will not declare I don’t want to be here. I hope we don’t deal someone like Myles Garrett away. That would be difficult to see. And I would have to consider, ‘Are we trying to win if we’re trading Hall of Fame players like that?’ We simply have to wait and see what happens, but I want to play with Myles.”
Ward now has three years left on his $100.5 million contract and has had some recent concussion troubles. However, both of these factors make him far more affordable in the trade market. According to Packers writer Max Dible, Green Bay sending “a second and sixth round pick” in the 2025 NFL Draft would be sufficient to land Ward in a Packers uniform.
How does Denzel Ward’s career compare to Jaire Alexander’s?
Ward and Alexander were taken in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Ward was the Browns’ fourth overall pick that year, while the Packers picked Alexander with the 18th pick.
While both have been among the league’s finest cornerbacks, Ward has been, well, better.
As one can see, Ward has played 17 more career games than Alexander, which is equivalent to a full NFL season. While one could argue that playing in more games would inevitably result in more well-known metrics such as interceptions, the truth is that it also means Ward has had more chances to fail.
However, he has not done so. The data above shows that opposing quarterbacks have an almost 10-point lower passer rating when targeting Ward than Alexander. Furthermore, Ward has allowed a completion rate of 53.9% throughout his career. Alexander has allowed one of 57.8%, which is also very impressive.
That being said, Alexander has been targeted 448 times since entering the NFL. Ward has been targeted 544 times, almost a hundred times more.
All of this to indicate that if Ward demands a trade, the Packers will most likely be unable to find a superior replacement for Alexander.
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