Jaire Alexander is actually what Zach Orr needed to optimize the Ravens defense.
Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr has to be wearing a Kool-Aid smile as the team prepares for NFL training camp 2025. Especially considering the signing of all-pro defensive back Jaire Alexander.
General Manager Eric DeCosta not only prioritized defensive scouting this spring by drafting defensive back Malaki Starks and linebacker Teddye Buchanan in the 2025 Draft, but he also worked with all-pro quarterback Lamar Jackson this offseason. Injury may have deterred the Green Bay Packers from re-signing Alexander. Still, the Ravens and Orr are well-equipped to recalibrate Alexander and get him back to being the excellent player he was before being sidelined.
For Orr, Alexander should allow for more man coverage and blitz opportunities for the Ravens’ defense. Orr’s design already yielded 50-plus sacks in 2024, and with an improved secondary, opposing quarterbacks are likely to have an even harder time finding quick reads out of the pocket, especially with the pressure of the pass rush.
Ultimately, Orr will relish having a pool of young and veteran personnel to deploy on defense. Ideally, Orr will be looking to replicate the total sacks he yielded last season and generate an increase in turnovers (perhaps interceptions) with Alexander and company to create more possessions for the dynamic Ravens’ offense.