Zy Alexander Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
School: LSU
Class: Senior
Position: CB
HT: 6’1
WT: 187 lbs
Background: Zy Alexander was an unrecruited cornerback out of Loreauville, Louisiana. Alexander played safety, quarterback, and wide receiver for Loreauville High School. He was also a leadoff hitter for the baseball team that won the state title his sophomore year.
College: In 2021, Alexander was a FCS All-American and had a league-leading 6 interceptions. In 2022, Alexander earned First Team All-Southland Conference honors for the second straight season. He finished the season with 4 pass breakups and 3 interceptions, 2 of which were returned for touchdowns. Ahead of the 2023 season, Alexander transferred to LSU. Zy started the first 8 games for LSU before suffering a season-ending injury. Zy Alexander had his best season yet in 2024. Alexander started in 10 games, recording 2 interceptions and 4 pass breakups.
Strengths: Zy Alexander is a technically sound cornerback. He has ideal measurables on the boundary along with serviceable athleticism to make him a scheme versatile weapon in the secondary. His length serves him well as a boundary cornerback as he can play up a weight class in order to shut down the bigger and stronger X receivers. Alexander has a knack for getting his hands on the football. He uses his length functionally in man coverage to disrupt the catch. In zone coverage, Alexander has incredible range to make plays on the football. Alexander has experience all over the field on both sides of the ball and it shows. He diagnoses offensive sets quickly and processes what is going on in front of him well. He can read the quarterback’s eyes to get a jump on the pass and meet the ball at the target. Alexander has excellent tackling technique and is a plus run defender. He wraps up consistently and brings ball carriers down on his own.
Weaknesses: Alexander is not the fastest athlete. He can get beat by the receivers with the long speed on go routes. He has stiff hips and unorthodox mechanics when going from backpedal to sprint as he often opens his hips too early, leaving himself susceptible to double moves at the break of the route. While Alexander has the tackling mechanics, his lean frame and inability to shed blockers prevents him from making a significant impact in the run game.
Conclusion: Zy Alexander can be an impactful depth piece in an NFL secondary. He has the length to win on the boundary and the play recognition skills to make those splash plays. He is not an impressive athlete and is a bit lean for the position.
Scheme Fit: Zone Coverage
Ideal Role: Boundary CB
Best Team Fits: BUF, BAL, DAL
Player Comparison: Rasul Douglas
Player Grade: Round 5 (57.6)
