Scouting Profile: Zy Alexander - CB - LSU
Sales Pitch: Tall thin corner with the ball skills and instincts to start in a zone scheme, however poor measurables will likely remove him from many teams’ boards.
*Gold Numbers Indicate NCAA T-25 for 2024*
Scouting Report
Zy Alexander was an unrecruited prospect out of Louisiana coming out of high school. In addition to football, he was also a state champion outfielder for the baseball team. Alexander spent his first three years at Southeastern Louisiana, starting 30 games and receiving All-Southland honors twice. He transferred to LSU prior to the 2023 campaign, his first of which was cut short by a torn ACL, but he went on to start 18 games across two seasons for the Tigers.
Alexander is a tall corner with a wide wingspan. An experienced player, he is a quick processor who is at his best in zone coverage. Alexander has active eyes that scan the field for routes coming in and out of his zone. He uses body positioning and leverage to cut off receivers and take away easy throws. He displays deliberate footwork to match route angles and rarely overcommits. Alexander isn’t a great athlete, but his ability to key and diagnose is a step ahead of everyone else on the field, which allows him to make up for his lack of top speed. His ability to anticipate and close on the ball with good timing has lead to stellar ball production numbers with 13 INTs and 20 PBUs in his career. Alexander is a natural receiver with the hands and ball skills to win at the catch point. His outfield background really stands out when he has to turn and locate the ball down the field. Alexander was one of the best tackling CBs in college football in 2024 with a 3.6% missed tackle rate. He plays with proper positioning, just like in coverage, to fence in ballcarriers trying to bounce to the outside. He attacks through runners near hip and wraps up to chop out their legs.
Alexander has a concerning physical profile for an NFL corner with a thin frame and below average athletic ability. He lacks the foot quickness or mass to win as a press corner at the line of scrimmage, and cannot stay in stride vertically down the field when his punches miss. Alexander doesn’t project well into man schemes. He lacks the redirect ability to stay in phase at all three levels and fails to get back into plays after receivers get separation due to middling burst. His fear of getting beat deep creates very soft cushions when in off-man as well, and allows too many easy completions. Alexander is a good tackler but lacks the frame to hold up in the run game. He is easy washed out of the play by bigger WRs and TEs when they get ahold of him. His lack of long speed also limits his pursuit range and he can get beat to the edge when forced to change direction and chase.
Alexander profiles as an outside corner in a zone heavy scheme. His processing ability and ball skills are NFL quality, but players with his athletic profiles don’t have a great history of success. Alexander projects as a Day-3 pick due to his athletic limitations and scheme specificity.