Jalen Ramsey is the popular named attached to Carolina at cornerback, but there are other options out there.
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.”
Oct 27, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive back Jaire Alexander (23) defends a pass intended for Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) during the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. / Melina Myers-Imagn Images
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.