College Football: Top 50 players for 2017

At 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds, Jaire Alexander isn’t the most intimidating guy on the field. That didn’t stop him from being one of the most active and effective defensive backs in the ACC in 2016. Alexander led the Cardinals in interceptions (five), but his impact went far beyond pure numbers.

Two of his picks came in the Cardinal’s most important game of the year, a visit to Death Valley to take on the undefeated Clemson Tigers. In addition to intercepting Deshaun Watson twice, Alexander forced a fumble in what would be a 36-42 defeat. Louisville was leading Clemson at the moment of each of his interceptions. Short of taking the ball into the endzone himself, there’s not much more Alexander could have done to help the Cardinals win that game.

Alexander is already being talked about as a potential first round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. What’s not to like? His active hands and eye for the football are both traits that evaluators on the next level absolutely love.

The Cardinal secondary was above average against the pass (39th in the nation in passing yards allowed), but not elite. After Alexander there were some question marks, particularly at the safety position. That made his pass break ups and picks all the more important. He’s a gamer and an impact player that makes his presence felt in a big way.