Chicago Bears 2018 NFL Draft targets to watch: Clemson vs. Louisville

Jaire Alexander (Corner Back), Louisville

Jaire Alexander is a play maker. A preseason All-American, Alexander is the top player on a very underrated Louisville defense. With 5 interceptions last season, Alexander quietly made key plays while Lamar Jackson took the spotlight.

Alexander went down with a knee injury in Louisville’s opener against Purdue. With reports that Alexander won’t play until he’s 100 percent, there are doubts that he will suit up for Saturday’s game. There still is a chance that Alexander plays on Saturday, and if he does, he expects to make a big impact.

Despite losing their top two targets to the NFL draft, Clemson still boasts one of the nation’s best receiving cores. Players like Hunter Renfrow and Ray-Ray McCloud are huge down-field threats and will need to be locked up by Alexander in order for Louisville to succeed on defense.

Eliminating the impact of Clemson’s downfield game would be vital if Louisville wants to win, as they can take pressure off of the offense and control the tempo of the game. Clemson’s offense struggled in a 14-6 win against Auburn last week and could struggle to keep up with the Cardinals offense

.

The injury concerns won’t hurt Alexanders draft stock, as he is still one of the best cornerbacks in a draft filled with secondary talent. If Alexander does play and makes a game changing impact, his draft stock could move into the top-ten. The Bears secondary concerns were on full display last week, and will almost definitely draft to fit that need next spring. With a good 2017 season, Jaire Alexander could be that guy next year.