Jaire Alexander was a needed draft pick for the Green Bay Packers. He was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft this year and he's expected to make an immediate impact. When Sam Shields went down with a concussion in the 2016 season opener, the Green Bay Packers have been looking to fill the void. The team did sign Tramon Williams who will be the No. 1 cornerback this year, but the expectation is Alexander along with 2017 second-round pick Kevin King and 2018 second-round pick Josh Jackson will be the future of the position. But if Alexander becomes the team's starting nickel cornerback, he has a chance to have a very memorable season.

Here are a few reasons why Alexander can win Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Makes big plays in big games

When Alexander was at Louisville, he had a tendency to play his best when the team had a big game. The best example is when the Cardinals were taking on Clemson in 2016. They lost the game, but Alexander put on a show.

"He was at his best in the big games," Jody Demling said who is the publisher of the Cardinal Authority which is part of the 247Sports network. "He had two picks against Clemson as a sophomore and just seem to do it at the highest level against the best teams. It’s not to say he plays down to the level of the not-so-good teams, but he was his best against the best."

Alexander ended the year with five interceptions and he was named to the All-ACC team. He only had one interception last year, but he was in and out of the lineup due to injuries.

Learned from a pro

One of Alexander's coaches at Louisville was Terrell Buckley who was drafted by the Packers in the first round in 1992. Buckley only played for the Packers for three seasons, but he went on to have a solid NFL career, recording 50 interceptions. Before Alexander entered the NFL, Buckley gave him some strong advice.

"All I tried to do is prepare him for that because at the end of the day, this is what should matter: Why did you start to play the game?" Buckley said to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. "Because you love to compete and you've learned and figure out how to make plays no matter if the guy was smaller than you or bigger."

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Already getting after Aaron Rodgers

When the Packers went through the offseason workouts, it was reported Alexander intercepted Rodgers multiple times. It led to Rodgers promising to get revenge on him as well as Jackson when training camp begins.

"Yeah, they're talking a lot," Rodgers said last month during OTAs. "I'm going to have to dice them up a little bit once we get down to it. But I like to see the confidence, really do. That's how you want your corners. To play with that swagger, that confidence."

The fact Alexander is getting interceptions off of one of the best in NFL should give him a lot of confidence this season.