by Ryan Myers
Photo courtesy of Tiger Rag.
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - LSU, Cornerback, Zy Alexander
Name - Zy Alexander
Pos - CB
Team - LSU
HT/WT - 6’2” 188 lbs.
Home – Loreauville, LA
Zy Alexander was an all around athlete in high school. He played three positions for Loreauville High School in Louisiana. He took snaps at QB, WR and DB. He also played outfield for the baseball team and hit leadoff. He helped lead them to a Class 2A state title as a sophomore. Out of high school, he was not very highly recruited and decided to play football at Southeastern Louisiana University.
In his first season of action at SLU, he played in just 5 games and had 29 tackles. However, in his second and third seasons with the Lions, he became a starter and gained the attention of the college football world. In his sophomore year in 2021, he played in 13 games making 39 tackles, 6 interceptions, 13 passes defended, and a forced fumble which he recovered. He played well in his 2022 season as well, playing in 12 games and making 27 tackles to go along with 3 more interceptions and 7 passes defended.
In spring of 2023, Alexander transferred to LSU and is now on NFL draft boards. So far this season with the Tigers' defense, he has started all 6 games and tallied 31 tackles, 6 passes defended and an interception and has become a reliable piece of the LSU secondary.
Alexander’s game is highlighted by his speed and quickness, his length, and superior ball skills. He has shown the ability to keep up with even the quickest receivers and mirror their routes very well. As a former receiver, he uses that to his advantage, seeing their perspective through the eyes of a wideout. He also has the straight line speed to recover from missteps he may take. He uses his length and reach well to defend passes, and paired with his ability to track the ball, his size and hands makes him a threat to create turnovers in any situation. He has a wide catch radius and uses his frame well in coverage as shown by his 9 career interceptions.
Some downsides to Alexander’s game are his tackling and his physical strength. He has a tendency to overrun his tackle attempts in the open field because he goes for a big hit instead of wrapping up the ball carrier. He also appears to play too conservative on some plays and gives up extra yards. If he finds the middle between these two approaches, it would help his draft potential. His slender frame at 6’2” and 188 pounds will require him to add weight and strength to consistently have success in the NFL.
Strengths
Speed/Quickness
Length
Ball tracking
Catch radius
Weaknesses
Tackling
Strength
Final Analysis
Zy Alexander’s combination of speed and size will be valued by many NFL teams looking for depth in their defensive backfield. Playing at a defensive back factory like LSU won’t hurt his reputation either, but much will be determined at his pro day and combine performance. He’s started this season hot, and NFL evaluators will be watching closely to see where he may fit best in the pros.
Draft 412 Draft Prediction - 5th round with a chance to improve as he proves his skillset in the SEC this season.