When Lamar Jackson called, Jaire Alexander came.

The day after Jackson publicly requested general manager Eric DeCosta bring in his former Louisville teammate, the Ravens came to an agreement with the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback.

Alexander, whom the Green Bay Packers released last week, signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Ravens worth up to $6 million, according to ESPN.

Jackson, who played college ball with Alexander from 2015-17, broke the news to the Ravens secondary.

“We were at lunch, and we — literally, Lamar told us and, five seconds later, we see it on [the] “Pat MacAfee Show,” so that’s crazy,” said safety Kyle Hamilton, who also noted how quickly it happened after Jackson requested it.

The move happened less than 24 hours after Jackson delivered his message.

“Go get him, Eric,” Jackson had said during his press conference the day before. “I love all of our corners, don’t get me wrong, but go get him, Eric.”

Jackson did his part, but based on his comments from the day before, he wasn’t sure what the result would be.

“Yes, I hit him up,” Jackson said. “But you don’t know. You never know with Jaire. That’s my boy.”

Cornerback Marlon Humphrey had similarly hit up Alexander a while back. Humphrey said his college defensive backs coach worked with Alexander in Green Bay and told him they are similar people.

Humphrey doesn’t get told people are like him very often, he quipped.

He and Alexander threw around the idea of teaming up, but they were both still under contract with the teams who drafted them.

The Packers selected Alexander in the first round of the 2018 draft. He became a first-time Pro Bowler in 2020 after he recorded the second-best PFF grade (90.5) of all cornerbacks and made 51 tackles, an interception and a sack.

In 2022, the Packers signed Alexander to a four-year extension that made him the highest-paid cornerback at the time. He followed with another Pro Bowl season with 56 tackles and five interceptions.

However, from there, Alexander struggled with injuries. He played just seven games in each of the last two seasons. In 2023 he had shoulder and knee injuries, and in 2024 he had surgery for what he said was a torn PCL.

Despite being limited last season, he logged two interceptions, the second most on the team. He returned them for 52 yards. He was also second in passes defended (7).

But the Packers cut him with two years remaining on his contract due to his lack of availability. Alexander has played more than seven games just once over the past four years.

Coach John Harbaugh said the Ravens have had conversations about how to keep Alexander healthy, as they have had with other players with injury histories whom they’ve taken chances on.

Harbaugh said Alexander’s situation is similar to Chidobe Awuzie’s. Harbaugh said both have talent but haven’t been able to display it in recent years due to injury. Awuzie dealt with an ankle injury during OTAs but returned for minicamp.

Awuzie, who was signed before Alexander became a free agent, has one more year of experience but has not been named a Pro Bowler. His signing helped offset the loss of starter Brandon Stephens in free agency.

Now the Ravens have a surplus of cornerbacks.

“I thought we had an excellent bunch of corners yesterday, and we added one more excellent corner today,” Harbaugh said.

In addition to Alexander, Awuzie and four-time Pro Bowler Humphrey, they have a returning starter in last year’s first-round pick, Nate Wiggins. Jalyn Armour-Davis and T.J. Tampa, who were limited by injuries last season, will compete for roles. There are five other cornerbacks at camp, including two draftees in Bihlal Kone and Robert Longerbeam.

The Ravens consider this a good problem.

“A quote that’s never been said and probably will never be said in NFL history is, ‘We’ve got too many corners that can cover,’” Humphrey said.

He also pointed out that many of the defensive backs on the team have versatile skills. After the draft, the Ravens were excited about all the flexibility they had with first-round pick safety Malaki Starks’ skill set, safeties Ar’Darius Washington and Hamilton’s versatility, and Humphrey’s ability to play inside or out.

Even with talent, they needed depth.

“For every team, at some point in the year, I feel like everybody’s thin at DB,” Hamilton said.

That was proven before camp started when Washington tore an Achilles in offseason training.

Cornerback depth helps with safety depth because it allows Humphrey to play nickelback rather than Hamilton. Humphrey said Awuzie’s signing helped them feel like they had flexibility as a secondary after Washington’s injury.

“Now we add Jaire, and I think the options are endless,” Humphrey said. “... It’s going to be a fun secondary.”

Humphrey was hoping to get an early look at how Alexander fit in with the team, because he attended practice Wednesday, but he understood Alexander had just gotten off a flight.

Humphrey, Hamilton and other players, coaches and personnel went over to greet Alexander. He spent a long time chatting with free-agent addition wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and team owner Steve Bisciotti at the beginning of practice.

When drills started, Alexander stood with the defensive backs and observed their individual work. He also stood on the sidelines during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills.

Humphrey thinks Alexander will fit in well, especially because he already checked to see if the guys hang out outside the facility.

The secondary is happy to welcome him. Harbaugh said the coaches are, too. And, just as importantly, the heart of the team, the two-time MVP, Jackson, is very, very happy.