Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson stood at the podium after practice Tuesday afternoon and exhorted general manager Eric DeCosta to “go get” free agent and two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander. Jackson and Alexander were teammates at Louisville, entered the NFL together in 2018 and have remained close.

Less than 24 hours later, DeCosta obliged.

On Wednesday, Alexander, who spent his first seven seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers, signed with Baltimore, the team announced. It’s a one-year, $4 million deal worth up to $6 million with what should be easily attainable incentives that revolve around playing 35-50% of snaps, according to a source with direct knowledge of the contract.

About a dozen teams were interested in signing Alexander, and one of his prerequisites was playing for a contender, said the source, who added that Baltimore’s defense appealed to the veteran and that the Ravens were quick to express their interest.

“It made Lamar happy,” coach John Harbaugh said, adding the team’s negotiations had been in the works for a little bit. “I think he made everybody happy.”

The move was the latest splash for the Super Bowl contender Ravens, who last offseason signed five-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry and this offseason landed free agent wide receiver and three-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins, whom they also signed after Jackson requested the move during his 2023 contract negotiations.

Alexander’s addition, meanwhile, bolsters a Ravens pass defense that ranked 31st in yards allowed per game (244.1) and was 17th in interceptions with 12. He also provides depth to a secondary that already includes cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who was an All-Pro in the slot last season, fast-rising second-year player Nate Wiggins, veteran Chidobe Awuzie, 2024 fourth-round pick T.J. Tampa and fourth-year veteran Jalyn Armour-Davis.

“A quote that’s never been said and probably never will be said in NFL history is we got too many corners that can cover,” Humphrey said, adding the two had talked last year about the possibility of teaming up. “That’s a great problem to have.”

Alexander does come with question marks, however, mostly centered around health.

The 28-year-old has missed at least 10 games in three of the past four seasons. Last season, he played in just seven games because of quadriceps and knee injuries.

Still, when healthy Alexander has been one of the game’s best cornerbacks.

Despite appearing in only seven games last season, he finished second on the team in pass breakups (seven) and tied for second in interceptions (two). In 2022, he had five interceptions and 14 pass breakups in 16 games, and in 2019 had 17 pass breakups and two interceptions, also in 16 games.

Over his seven seasons, including the playoffs, Alexander has 15 interceptions.

His addition is a low-risk one as well.

In 2022, the Packers signed Alexander to a four-year, $84 million extension that made him the highest-paid at his position at the time. But injuries and a sour exit from Green Bay sent his price tag plunging as he appeared in just 34 of 68 regular-season games during his Packers tenure.

Alexander was also notably suspended for one game in 2023 for “conduct detrimental to the team” when he came out for the coin toss against the Carolina Panthers and nearly bungled the decision that would have given the Panthers the ball to start both halves. He said that he went onto the field for the coin toss because the game was in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Now healthy and reunited with Jackson, however, the Ravens hope that Alexander can recapture his form.

He could give defensive coordinator Zach Orr plenty of flexibility, too.

“I think the options are endless,” Humphrey said. “It’s gonna be a fun secondary.

“It can be serious matchup if there’s a guy that we feel this guy can cover this guy better, we can match him up with him. We can all pick who we want. We can have four first-round corners out there. There’s so much that we can do.”

Alexander, whom the Packers selected 18th overall in 2018, is just the latest former first-rounder, along with Humphrey, Wiggins and this year’s first-round pick, safety Malaki Starks, who also played some at corner at Georgia.

Add Hamilton and that’s another first-round pick in Baltimore’s defensive backfield.

He was at lunch Wednesday when Jackson spilled the beans. A few minutes later, he saw the news come out on the “Pat McAfee Show.”

“He’s been one of the best in this league since he got in it,” Hamilton said of Alexander. “To have anybody like that no matter what position, especially DB, it’s super valuable.

“Every team at some point in the year seems like everybody’s thin at DB. To add a guy like that to our room, not only his play, but his energy, his charisma, his leadership, his ball knowledge, it’s gonna be great to have him in the room.”

Harbaugh was equally excited, knowing what kind of value adding another highly decorated cornerback as a building block to the defense provides.

“When you’ve got corners you don’t have to worry about your corners,” he said. “That’s kind of a big deal because a lot of plays are made out there on that red line, on that outside third of the field. That’s an area of the field that really needs to be defended.

“It gives you more options with your defensive play calls.”

And another piece to what is already a loaded roster with nothing short of Super Bowl expectations.

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