Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has no desire to discuss his contract situation publicly. But at his mandatory minicamp news conference Tuesday, he wasn’t shy about sending the front office a strong message.

With former Louisville teammate Jaire Alexander now a free agent, Jackson is interested in roster building.

“Go get him, Eric,” Jackson said, leaning into the microphone and addressing Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta.

That’s not to say Jackson has a problem with the cornerback situation right now. He was quick to add that he loves the Ravens cornerbacks, which include four-time Pro Bowler Marlon Humphrey; last year’s first-round pick, Nate Wiggins; veteran free-agent addition Chidobe Awuzie; a now-healthy Jalyn Armour-Davis; and a handful of younger players looking to prove themselves.

But Jackson, who keeps his circle notoriously small, said Alexander is “my guy.” He’s already talked to him about the possibility of reuniting in Baltimore.

Alexander was a first-round pick in 2018. He was drafted by Green Bay 14 spots ahead of Jackson and quickly became a starter for the Packers, then a Pro Bowler in 2020 and 2022. However, Alexander was beset by injuries the past two seasons.

Even in just seven games of action last season, he finished second on the Packers in pass breakups (seven) and interceptions (two).

There were still two years remaining on Alexander’s four-year, $84 million contract — at one point the NFL’s richest for a cornerback — when the Packers decided to release him last week. The move cleared up $17 million in salary cap space and gave Jackson his first shot at pitching a reunion to his friend.

‘Mark’s still Mark’

Jackson took his news conference as an opportunity to make a public statement about another one of his “guys.”

As he listed all the talent he has on offense this year, he paused to address tight end Mark Andrews.

“I got to get on ‘MAndrews’ really quick,’” Jackson said. “That guy’s different. Because I’ve been seeing my guy get talked about, and I really don’t like that. He’s done so much for us. I’m off topic right here, but he’s done so much for us. And how people did him, I just don’t like that. Because Mark’s still Mark.”

Andrews has been Jackson’s preferred target, his safety net, for years in Baltimore. Andrews broke franchise receiving records last season, but a forgettable performance in the Ravens’ season-ending loss to the Buffalo Bills led to speculation about his future.

Andrews’ chemistry with Jackson was on display Tuesday, as Jackson hit him in stride on a deep cross after he got behind inside linebacker Trenton Simpson. Andrews had a couple of other catches on his trademark crossing patterns.

‘Super vet’

Tuesday marked only the second time that Jackson and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins have practiced together, but they’ve impressed each other.

“Man, I’m just gonna say, that guy [is] dope,” Jackson said of Hopkins. “That guy different.”

“He’s a competitor at everything,” Hopkins, a free-agent addition, said of Jackson.

Jackson has had a number of weapons around him in years past, but Hopkins is unique. While wide receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman beat defenders with speed and route running, Hopkins can win 50-50 balls. Quarterbacks coach Tee Martin said Tuesday that throwing those passes requires more trust than normal.

It’s early days, but Hopkins and Jackson are trying to build that foundation with constant communication. Just as Hopkins described to quarterback Cooper Rush throughout organized team activities how he likes the ball thrown and what he was seeing, he’s now passing on those observations to Jackson.

Hopkins is now with his fifth team. Over his prior 12 seasons, he has played with many quarterbacks. He said every quarterback-wide receiver duo is different, and there’s no predicting how fast the connection will come.

Thus far, Hopkins’ age (33) has been a benefit. He’s been using his experience to help the younger receivers. And he’s not showing any signs of slowing down. He recently shared on social media that he was the third-fastest player at the Ravens’ May 28 practice. And he put his speed on display for Jackson at minicamp.

“I threw him, like, a shallow [pass] today,” Jackson said. “Caught the ball so smooth, got up. I don’t think he even put his other hand on the ground to get up! He just caught the ball and started running. I’m like, ‘Bruh, that’s some vet-type stuff, some super vet-type stuff.’

“I’m looking forward to throwing him a lot of touchdowns this year,” Jackson added.

End zone

• Unofficially, Jackson finished 11-for-15 in competitive 11-on-11 action and 7-for-10 in seven-on-seven work. He targeted Hopkins at least four times, connecting on three throws for short to intermediate gains. Simpson picked off Jackson in seven-on-seven work, stepping in front of a short throw over the middle.
• Rookie kicker Tyler Loop struggled in the Ravens’ only period with “live” field goals. The sixth-round pick missed wide right on what appeared to be an extra-point-length attempt and was wide left on a 30-yarder. He bounced back to make a 40-yarder and 42-yarder, while undrafted rookie John Hoyland was 4-for-4 on his kicks, which ranged from 30 to 45 yards. It was Hoyland’s second straight practice of outkicking Loop.
• Cornerback T.J. Tampa had perhaps the play of the day, deflecting a pass from Rush to wide receiver Dayton Wade near the edge of the end zone before securing the ball for an interception himself as he headed out of bounds.
• Undrafted rookie cornerback Reuben Lowery continued his strong spring, wrestling a would-be catch away from Wade for an interception. The pick was at least Lowery’s third of the offseason.
• Undrafted rookie safety Desmond Igbinosun had an interception after undrafted rookie wide receiver Ramel Keyton, a tryout player, bobbled a pass from quarterback Devin Leary over the middle of the field.
• Leary had one of the best passes of practice, dropping a deep throw to wide receiver Devontez Walker along the right sideline between rookie cornerback Bilhal Kone and Igbinosun.
• Only two players on the Ravens’ 90-man roster were unavailable: rookie offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr. (shoulder) and safety Ar’Darius Washington (Achilles tendon). Safety Beau Brade and Awuzie both returned to practice after recovering from what coach John Harbaugh said were minor ankle injuries. Awuzie was healthy enough to record a pass breakup and shoot into the backfield on one handoff, while Brade’s role was more limited.