The Packers drafted what they needed most: a cornerback.

But what Green Bay also got by selecting Louisville's Jaire Alexander at No. 18 overall on Thursday night is a skilled defender and kick returner.

"We think he's versatile Lamar Jackson Youth Jersey ," Packers director of scouting Jon-Eric Sullivan said. "He can run 鈥?he's a 4.3 guy. He's got really good twitch, lateral agility. So, we do think he can play inside. He's very instinctive."

In his first draft as Packers general manager, Brian Gutekunst had been eyeing Alexanders since the fall.

"He was one of those targets early on that we liked quite a bit," Gutekunst said. "All of our scouts that went into Louisville this year liked him quite a bit."

Injuries have ravaged the Green Bay cornerback position in recent years. The Packers dealt Damarious Randall to the Browns earlier in the offseason in a trade that brought backup quarterback DeShone Kizer to Green Bay. That left last year's second-round pick, Kevin King, as the Packers' top cornerback following an injury-shortened rookie year.

Veteran Tramon Williams returned as a free agent to the Packers, who also brought back Davon House. But a defense can never have too many cornerbacks in the pass-happy NFL.

The Packers feel Alexander can play in the slot and on the outside in new coordinator Mike Pettine's defense.

"I pretty much can play wherever," Alexander said.

The Packers are hoping Alexander is the playmaker they desperately need after another subpar year on defense. Alexander had a team-leading five interceptions as a sophomore in 2016. He only played in six games last season, starting five, after sustaining a knee injury. But the injury didn't scare off the Packers.

"We felt good about the whole situation," Sullivan said. "We feel good about the guy, we feel good about his durability overall. He did miss time this year, but we thought given the process through the spring and watched his workout in Indianapolis, and the guy was back to 100 percent."

Alexander was healthy at the NFL combine and turned some heads http://www.packersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-oren-burks-jersey , running blazing 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash. At only 5-foot-11, Alexander has to use his speed to his advantage to beat bigger wide receivers.

"I definitely use speed a lot," Alexander said. "Being faster than the receiver is only half the battle, so definitely rely on my speed and technique."

Alexander's speed along with his other exception intangibles were key in the Packers taking the 21-year-old.

"He's very physical, very aggressive," Gutekunst said. "When you have a corner that lacks great height like that sometimes you start to (think), is he a nickel? Can he play inside? Can he play outside? I think all of our staff, not only our personnel staff but also our coach staff, felt really good about him playing inside and outside. He's a dynamic, explosive athlete."

As a kick returner, Alexander had 20 returns for 210 yards and a touchdown as a sophomore. He'll compete with Trevor Davis for the Packers' starting return position.

Green Bay entered Thursday night with the No. 14 pick, but Gutekunst acquired the Saints' first-round pick (No. 27), a fifth-round pick (No. 147) and the team's first-round selection in 2019. Then the Packers moved up to No. 18 and also received the No. 248 pick in the seventh round and gave Seattle the No. 27 pick, a third-rounder (No. 76) and a sixth-rounder (No. 186).

Gutekunst noted that Alexander "was in consideration" for the Packers to select him at No. 14, but when the Saints called with a trade offer LeSean McCoy Jersey , it was too good to pass up.

"We got to 14, we had a number of players that we felt were similar value and that's what one of the decisions to moving back," Gutekunst said.

Green Bay has 11 picks remaining in the final two days of the draft. It will have just one on Friday, No. 45. The Packers' brass will be busy on Saturday: fourth round selections Nos. 101 and 133; fifth round Nos. 138, 147, 172 and 174; sixth round No. 207; and seventh round Nos. 232, 239 and 248.

鈥?Jim Caldwell may have been the Detroit Lions’ most successful coach in the Super Bowl era.That was not enough to save his job.The Lions fired Caldwell on Monday after a season in which the team raised hopes before fading and missing the playoffs with a 9-7 record. They also fired offensive line coach Ron Prince, keeping the rest of the assistants under contract in case the next coach wants to retain any of them.Lions owner Martha Firestone Ford called Caldwell “one of the finest leaders we’ve ever had as our head coach.”“Not only did he guide us on the field to three winning seasons, but he also set a standard of excellence off the field that had a tremendous impact on everyone in our organization and our entire community,” Ford said in a statement.Caldwell was 36-28 in four seasons and went 0-2 in two postseasons with the Lions. Including three years with the Indianapolis Colts, he is 62-50 and 2-4 in the playoffs with one Super Bowl appearance.Lions general manager Bob Quinn said he wants a coach to take the team to the next level 鈥?postseason victories and championships. Quinn added that he fired Caldwell, in part, because he thought the team was capable of winning more than nine games in each of the last two seasons.Detroit defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will interview for the job Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the coaching search. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not identified any candidates. Austin has interviewed with many NFL teams in recent years.For the first time, Quinn has to hire an NFL coach. After Detroit gave him a shot to be a first-time general manager a little less than two years ago Davante Adams Packers Jersey , he chose to keep Caldwell. After letting him go, Quinn’s future with the franchise may hinge on his next hire.“I feel pressure every day in my job,” he said. “I signed up for it.”Quinn was a part of New England’s personnel department for 16 years before the Lions hired him and says he might consider Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels because of his familiarity with them.Houston Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel, who also has ties to Quinn in New England, and Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur are also potential candidates.Caldwell received a multiyear contract extension before the season, but the team didn’t announce the move for months. This season ended with a 35-11 victory over Green Bay on Sunday for Caldwell’s third winning record in his four years.Led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, Detroit met relatively modest expectations this season, but raised hopes with 3-1 and 6-4 records only to drop out of postseason contention by losing three of five.Caldwell became Detroit’s first coach to have at three winning seasons in his first four years since the early 1950s.He didn’t scream at his players and showed interest in their lives.“I love Caldwell,” receiver Marvin Jones said. “I’ve been here for two years and he’s the best coach I’ve ever had. Everybody is quiet two minutes before his meetings because he demands respect without yelling. He doesn’t yell at all. You never want to disappoint him. We just had to make more plays for him.”When Caldwell was hired almost four years ago, he was working for a franchise with only one winning season in a 13-season stretch.“We’re going to be smart,” Caldwell said at the time. “We’re going to be a football team that takes the field that’s not going to shoot itself in the foot.”Detroit’s defense, though, was short-handed in consecutive games late in the season. The Lions were down a player for a snap when Minnesota scored a touchdown in a win at Detroit on Thanksgiving and were missing two players when Baltimore converted a third down to help it take a two-TD lead in a victory.“I’m not sitting up there making excuses, it’s unacceptable,” Quinn said.Even as it became clear Caldwell’s job may be in jeopardy Isaiah Oliver Color Rush Jersey , he took it in stride.“That’s kind of the way it goes,” he insisted going into his last game as Detroit’s coach. “That’s every year, right? I told you guys a story a long time ago about Marty Schottenheimer. He got fired at 14-2. So anything less than a Super Bowl, obviously it could happen.”The Lions have never played in a Super Bowl. And since winning the 1957 NFL title, they have won only one playoff game and that lone victory was in 1992.Caldwell went 16-8 against NFC North teams, but wasn’t able to help the franchise win its first division title since 1993.In each of Caldwell’s four years with the Lions, they ranked among the NFL’s worst in yards rushing. That glaring weakness put a lot of pressure on Stafford and a shaky line, resulting in a struggling offense that failed to score consistently.Quinn said players will not be involved in the interview process, but Stafford hopes offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter is back next season.“I would love to have the opportunity to keep working with him,” Stafford said Monday as the players cleared out their lockers..