The Atlanta Falcons spent much of the 2025 NFL offseason addressing their pass rush and secondary. The team drafted first-round edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., re-signed cornerback Mike Hughes, and stole playmaking safety Xavier Watts in the third round.
Despite these moves, the Falcons weren’t satisfied with their defense. According to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Atlanta was in the mix to sign former Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander before he ended up with the Baltimore Ravens.
“Falcons he was considering,” said Fowler. “Miami Dolphins he was also considering, but Baltimore had the clear edge throughout that process.”
Alexander, 28, was released a few weeks ago by the Green Bay Packers in a move that shocked the rest of the league. The former first-round pick reportedly had his pick of teams to choose from but signed with Baltimore after visiting his free-agent visit.
A note on how Jaire Alexander ended up a Baltimore Raven pic.twitter.com/cJ736wsVGE
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) June 21, 2025
Atlanta made sense as a possible landing spot, mostly due to Alexander’s ties to Falcons assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray. Before joining Atlanta’s coaching staff in 2023, Gray coached Alexander when he was the Packers defensive backs coach.
“Gray served as the defensive backs/passing game coordinator for the Green Bay Packers from 2021-22,” wrote AtlantaFalcons.com in Gray’s coaching profile. “In his three seasons (2020-22) with Green Bay, the Packers finished in the top 10 in passing defense in all three years.”
Alexander would have been a nice addition to a Falcons secondary that already features A.J. Terrell and Jessie Bates III. Financially, it wouldn’t have made a ton of sense for a cash-strapped Atlanta team, but Alexander’s talent is undeniable.
Over his seven NFL seasons, Alexander had made two Pro Bowls and recorded 12 interceptions in 78 career games (76 starts).
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons tried to sign CB Jaire Alexander, per ESPN report