Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Expectations for Kwon Alexander in 2017
Kwon Alexander should set the tone defensively for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017.
It is hard to have a better season than Tampa Bay Buccaneers middle linebacker Kwon Alexander did in 2016. Amassing 145 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble and an interception, he was truly all over the football field. Now entering his third campaign, the former LSU Tiger looks to continue his role as the leader of a potent Buccaneers defense.
It was evident from the get-go that Alexander was going to have a special season. In the opener against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 11, he had a monster day. Notching 15 total tackles on the afternoon, he showed his explosiveness and nose for the football. He would then go on to register at least five tackles in his next three contests.
That led to Week 6, the bye week, a time for rest and rejuvenation. For Alexander, the week off would pay off the following week. Notching seven tackles against the 49ers, that number palled in comparison to what would come in Week 8. In a nail-biting 30-24 loss to Derek Carr and the Oakland Raiders, he was one of the lone bright spots of the afternoon. He would record his second double-digit tackle game of the season, recording 14 in total.
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For the rest of the season, Alexander would continue to provide consistent production for the Bucs. He would go on to record one more double-digit tackle game, this one coming against the Dallas Cowboys. Recording 21 tackles, his impressive effort was not enough as the Buccaneers would lose, 26-20.
Can he keep it up?
The question heading into the 2017 campaign is, can he keep putting up these type of numbers? In answer to that question, I would think “yes” would be an appropriate answer. Per an article from Buccaneers.com, Alexander should be an integral part of a cataclysmic defensive front seven:
"The Buccaneers may not have a better duo at any position than they have at linebacker with Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander. Those two have been durable and consistent playmakers, and it’s quite possible their best days are still ahead of them. David and Alexander fill the weakside and middle linebacker spots, respectively, and those are the two that stay on the field for virtually every play."
I’m not sure if his numbers will be as good as they were last year. It would be unfair to ask him to replicate a season like 2016. With that in mind, a fair guess on his numbers for next year would be 120 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles.
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Alexander should be in line to have another great year in 2017. He has shown he has all the tools to become and sustain the title of elite linebacker in the NFL.