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Redskins Training Camp Profile: CB Adonis Alexander

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 03: Cornerback Adonis Alexander #36 of the Virginia Tech Hokies gestures to the crowd against the West Virginia Mountaineers at FedExField on September 3, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 03: Cornerback Adonis Alexander #36 of the Virginia Tech Hokies gestures to the crowd against the West Virginia Mountaineers at FedExField on September 3, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 03: Running back Josh Adams #33 of the Philadelphia Eagles carries the ball against cornerback Adonis Alexander #39 of the Washington Redskins during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 3, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Eagles won 28-13. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 03: Running back Josh Adams #33 of the Philadelphia Eagles carries the ball against cornerback Adonis Alexander #39 of the Washington Redskins during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 3, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Eagles won 28-13. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Adonis Alexander’s 2018 season

Alexander got a little bit of a late start on his NFL career. The Redskins used a sixth-round selection on him in the 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft to continue to add depth to their cornerback room. And there was plenty of reason to be intrigued by him.

There were some draft pundits that thought Alexander would have been a third or fourth-round pick had he declared for the 2018 draft. Others thought that billing would match where he would go after his senior year. That made it appear that the Redskins had gotten a potential steal, at least in terms of draft positioning.

Notably, Alexander also had a connection with then-defensive backs coach Torrian Gray. Gray had coached him during their time together at Virginia Tech. This familiarity coupled with Alexander’s 6-foot-3 frame and experience at corner and safety led many to believe that he could emerge as the team’s most talented rookie cornerback.

However, Alexander’s first season in Washington didn’t quite showcase that high upside. He only suited up in nine games for the Redskins and played mostly on special teams. All told, he only saw 11 defensive snaps and totaled four tackles including his special teams production.

This wouldn’t have been bad in and of itself, especially given that Alexander had come to the team late and likely needed time to develop at the NFL level. That said, the Redskins did give some fairly significant action to some of Alexander’s fellow rookies at corner, so the fact that he couldn’t beat them out for time was a bit discouraging.

Still, Alexander’s upside is immense and he will have a chance to showcase that during the team’s 2019 training camp.

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