Kwon Alexander: How new 49ers linebacker will impact defense

The San Francisco 49ers made their first splash free-agent signing of 2019, bringing aboard linebacker Kwon Alexander. Niner Noise takes a look at his potential impact this season.

He might not have been the No. 1 target most San Francisco 49ers fans wanted to see. But former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Kwon Alexander is going to occupy a key role in the Niners defense after agreeing to a four-year, $54 million deal before NFL free agency began.

Alexander, 24 years old, helps alleviate the November 2018 loss of San Francisco’s former first-round NFL Draft pick, Reuben Foster, and will most likely occupy the defense’s weak-side (WILL) linebacker spot alongside second-year pro Fred Warner.

So, what can the Niners expect from Alexander in 2019?

If there’s one concern, it’s the 2018 ACL injury Alexander suffered in Week 7 a year ago. It’s possible, perhaps likely he’ll be ready for training camp this August. But that could cut into Alexander’s sheer athleticism and abilities.

That athleticism helped him become one of Tampa Bay’s most reliable defenders for three-plus years, which included one Pro Bowl in 2017 and a league-leading 108 solo tackles the year before:

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/11/2019.

One should also note Alexander has six interceptions and six forced fumbles over his pro career. In comparison, the Niners defense registered just seven defensive takeaways and two picks total last year.

San Francisco is banking on Alexander being a playmaker alongside Warner. But there are some concerns.

According to Pro Football Focus, Alexander missed 78 tackles over his first four years. Putting things into perspective, PFF’s Jeff Deeney noted Alexander had a missed tackle rate of 18 percent between 2015 and 2017 — second highest among linebackers with a minimum of 1,000 snaps.

Alexander is also far more adept covering the pass than the run, which is likely influenced by the sheer number of missed tackles. WILL linebackers are often assigned with weak-side run defense, so this could be problematic for the 49ers defense. That said, the quality of defensive linemen in front of Alexander — something he didn’t exactly enjoy during his Buccaneers tenure — should make a difference.

Mark Kreidler of Sacramento’s ESPN 1320 also noted Alexander is a player who could often be out of position, yet would make up for it with sheer athletic ability.

Alexander did run a top-performing 4.55 40-yard time at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine. So, as long as the ACL injury doesn’t negatively impact his speed and agility, one can see why Kreidler’s comments make sense.

And you can see some of those playmaking abilities in the video below:

There’s another factor at play, of course, and that’s the kind of effect Alexander’s presence will have on Warner. Warner was often left to clean up a lot of the misses and poor angles from San Francisco’s mismatch of other linebackers throughout 2018.

Assuming Alexander improves this second level of the defense, Warner’s job at MIKE should be much easier.

Yet the biggest concern will be whether or not Alexander, now the highest-paid linebacker in NFL history, bounces back adequately enough from his serious injury. A guess would be he starts off somewhat rusty, eventually coming into form near the halfway point of the season.

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