By Jimmy Carlton Sportswriter Published Apr 27, 2018 at 3:21 PM

New Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst was busy on the opening day of his first NFL draft, trading twice and maneuvering around to end up with an intriguing player at a position of need and an extra first-round pick next year.

On Thursday, the Packers traded back from their No. 14 spot, sending the pick to the New Orleans Saints for the 27th selection, their fifth-round choice (No. 147 overall) and a 2019 first-rounder. Then, they traded again, this time moving up to acquire the Seattle Seahawks’ 18th overall pick, as well as a seventh-rounder (No. 248), in exchange for Nos. 27, 76 (third round) and 186 (sixth). 

Green Bay used the 18th pick to select Louisville junior Jaire Alexander, a small but speedy cornerback who wasn’t considered among the draft’s elite defensive prospects but is an instinctive playmaker whose natural athleticism and raw potential could compensate for his lack of size and college production. 

The Packers apparently were interested in Alexander throughout the draft process, and they were able to get him while also acquiring another first-round pick for next year, a win-win result, unless Alexander underperforms compared to other players who were available. 

"Jaire is a guy we targeted all along. We liked him from the outset," said director of college scouting Jon-Eric Sullivan, according to Packers.com. "He’s very much a competitor. I think you can see that in his play. He’s twitchy. He has really good ball skills. He can play inside and outside. He’s a very good punt returner. He’s the kind of person we wanted to add to the locker room.

"We think he’s versatile. He can run. He’s got really good twitch, lateral agility. So, we do think he can play inside. He’s very instinctive."

Alexander (5-foot-10, 192 pounds) ran the 40-yard dash in a breakneck 4.38 seconds, seventh-fastest among defensive backs at the NFL scouting combine. The former high school wide receiver had seven career interceptions at Louisville, plus 15 pass breakups and 77 total tackles in his three seasons. He was limited to just six games last year because of knee and hand injuries, but clearly the Packers weren’t concerned about the corner’s durability, despite his small frame.

Alexander wasn’t concerned either.

"I’m a big believer in heart over height," Alexander said at the draft. "If you look back at the film, I only gave up five passes, and I played against bigger receivers who were 6-5. It doesn’t really matter. My mentality is I’m going to beat the man in front of me. That’s just a part of being a student of the game. I don’t pay any attention to size or anything like that.

"I definitely use speed a lot. Being faster than the receiver is only half the battle, so definitely rely on my speed and technique."

Said Gutekunst of his first selection as Packers’ GM: "He’s very physical, very aggressive. When you have a corner that lacks great height like that sometimes you start to (think), is he a nickel? Can he play inside? Can he play outside? I think all of our staff, not only our personnel staff but also our coach staff, felt really good about him playing inside and outside. He’s a dynamic, explosive athlete."

After the first round of the NFL Draft concluded on Thursday night, and following the Milwaukee Bucks’ Game 6 victory over the Boston Celtics, Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers – who hasn’t been the most vocally supportive of the Packers’ offseason moves – tweeted his approval.

That endorsement no doubt encourages Packers fans and also must mean a lot to Alexander, who was asked Thursday about the prospect of playing with Rodgers.

"I’m very excited about that. He’s a legend," Alexander said. "I know going against him is only going to make me better and prepare my game, so I’m definitely looking forward to going against him in practice and just being around the type of person that he is, the competitor that he is."

So, the superstar quarterback is on board with the cornerback and Green Bay's moves. Alexander is excited to be a Packer. And, obviously, Gutekunst likes them. But what did NFL draft experts think of the team's first round?

NFL Network

Mike Mayock: I like this pick. Alexander has some swag about him. He's the No. 1 corner on my board. In addition to being competitive, tough, he tackles, he finds the football in the air and he also adds value in the punt return game. Historically, Green Bay only takes corners who can find the ball in the air, and this kid does it.
Bucky Brooks: Credit the Packers for moving around the board to get picks while still acquiring a blue-chip player. Alexander is an exceptional cover corner with press man skills. He is the perfect CB for Mike Pettine's aggressive scheme.

ESPN

Mel Kiper: "He has Deion Sanders-type natural athletic ability and he has that confidence Deion brought to that cornerback spot. 196-pounder with long arms, so he’s playing a little bit taller than 5-10 with his length and athleticism. 4.38 speed. Here’s a kid who is confident, he has return ability. Jaire Alexander, despite the injury this year, has a chance to be an elite cover corner, and certainly on my rating board, right behind Denzel Ward as the No. 2 cover man in this draft."
Bill Barnwell: "Combine these two deals and you’ll note that Gutekunst moved down four spots in the first round, falling from 14 to 18. For his troubles, the Packers GM was allowed the opportunity to trade the 76th and 186th selections for a first-round chit in the 2019 draft, accompanied by picks 147 and 248. That’s a huge return, even if the Packers have to wait a year to realize the majority of the value. Green Bay fans should be delighted by their newly promoted executive’s first big night at the helm."
Matt Bowen: Alexander can improve his technique. And that comes with reps. But I really like his coverage ability. Press-man. 4.3 speed. Competes, too. Good fit for Pettine’s defense in Green Bay. 

CBSSports.com

Grade: A
Pete Prisco: They get a smooth cover player who plays with a swagger. They wanted a corner and get a darn good one.
Chris Trapasso: Exceptional mirroring skills. Ultra-aware in zone. Drives rapidly on the football and is aggressive at the catch point. Plays bigger than his smaller stature. Can thrive in any type of coverage due to football IQ and athleticism. My No. 2 CB in this class. Thrives in man and is a true play-maker in zone. Spectacular athlete. Super feisty. Awesome selection.

Bleacher Report

Grade: 7.00 (Round 1)
Matt Miller: Jaire Alexander’s 2016 tape looks like that of a first-rounder and immediate starter, but there are questions over his ability to stay healthy. If he can get on the field and stay there, Alexander has the toughness and quickness to handle playing the slot against NFL talent.
Doug Farrar: Jaire Alexander is an ideal Packers DB. Can play all over the place at a really high level... if he's healthy.

Rotoworld

Evan Silva: Denzel Ward was my lone tier-1 CB this year. Jaire Alexander was at top of tier 2. Such a good player.

Draft Wire

Luke Easterling: "Alexander was held back by injuries in 2017, but his 2016 tape was dominant, and he showed flashes of that when healthy this season. He’s got the physical and mental tools to be a shutdown artist at the next level, and the Packers desperately need that kind of player at that position."

FanSided

Grade: A
Matt Verderame: This grade not only factors in the kind of player that Alexander is expected to be, but the deft trading by Brian Gutekunst. Gutekunst was working his first NFL Draft and found a way to land an elite corner while adding the New Orleans Saints’ first-round pick in 2019.

The Packers have 11 picks remaining in the final two days of the draft. Currently, Green Bay will have just one on Friday (No. 45), but 10 on Saturday – Nos. 101 and 133 in the fourth round; Nos. 138, 147, 172 and 174 in the fifth round; No. 207 in the sixth round; and Nos. 232, 239 and 248 in the seventh round.

The second and third rounds are on Friday, starting at 6 p.m. (FOX), while rounds four through seven are on Saturday, starting at 11 a.m. (ABC). ESPN and the NFL Network will also broadcast the draft. 

Jimmy Carlton Sportswriter

Born in Milwaukee but a product of Shorewood High School (go ‘Hounds!) and Northwestern University (go ‘Cats!), Jimmy never knew the schoolboy bliss of cheering for a winning football, basketball or baseball team. So he ditched being a fan in order to cover sports professionally - occasionally objectively, always passionately. He's lived in Chicago, New York and Dallas, but now resides again in his beloved Brew City and is an ardent attacker of the notorious Milwaukee Inferiority Complex.

After interning at print publications like Birds and Blooms (official motto: "America's #1 backyard birding and gardening magazine!"), Sports Illustrated (unofficial motto: "Subscribe and save up to 90% off the cover price!") and The Dallas Morning News (a newspaper!), Jimmy worked for web outlets like CBSSports.com, where he was a Packers beat reporter, and FOX Sports Wisconsin, where he managed digital content. He's a proponent and frequent user of em dashes, parenthetical asides, descriptive appositives and, really, anything that makes his sentences longer and more needlessly complex.

Jimmy appreciates references to late '90s Brewers and Bucks players and is the curator of the unofficial John Jaha Hall of Fame. He also enjoys running, biking and soccer, but isn't too annoying about them. He writes about sports - both mainstream and unconventional - and non-sports, including history, music, food, art and even golf (just kidding!), and welcomes reader suggestions for off-the-beaten-path story ideas.