[ad_1]
The San Francisco 49ers kicked off the new season by signing with Kwon Alexander, the former linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for a four-year contract.
Tampa initially recruited Alexander in the fourth round (124th overall) of the 2015 NFL draft on LSU. Alexander led all rookies with 93 tackles in 2015, with 108 solo tackles for the entire NFL and was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2017. Alexander's 2018 season was cut short after tore his ACL on Oct. 21 against the Cleveland Browns.
This last moment will certainly alarm the fans given the recent history of the 49ers with players coming from ACL tears. Nevertheless, Alexander will be completely free of the injury as the training camp unfolds. Even if he starts the summer on PUP, Alexander should still be able to play most, if not all, of the 2019 regular season.
His position in Robert Saleh's defense is quite simple. In good health, it is fair to assume that his name will be written to WILL's linebacker alongside Fred Warner. This gives the 49ers a particularly sporty tandem inside the linebacker. Alexander's scorecard, with 4.55 seconds and 40 yards, was the second-best defenseman on the line at the 2015 Combine NFL. The linebacker has excellent coverage over his four-year career. Alexander has six career interceptions and is the only player since 2015 to record at least 300 tackles, six mediators and six sacks.
The second on the line comes from the release of Reuben Foster last November and the inability of Malcolm Smith to remain on the field. Smith was signed in 2017 as a 49ers starter at WILL, with Reuben Foster as a long-term solution. Alexander, who is only 24 years old, is just starting to get started, assuming that his ACL is fully recovering. This means that Alexander is expected to be the backbone of San Francisco's defense for many years. Its attractiveness has only been magnified by what is perceived as a weak class of internal linebackers in this year's repechage.
[ad_2]
Source link