49ers vs. Buccaneers: 5 players to watch in 2019 regular-season opener
By Peter Panacy
![Dante Pettis #18 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) Dante Pettis #18 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/ffed3a6aedb256161ab5876420db3f9d9f60879b3e9d79f5910b2c9cc8cbc1d0.jpg)
No. 2: Linebacker Kwon Alexander
Well, there’s the reunion, obviously.
Tampa Bay selected Kwon Alexander with the No. 124 overall pick back in 2015. Alexander would go on to record a league-high 108 solo tackles the following year, eventually earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2017.
Then, of course, Alexander tore his ACL in 2018 after playing just six games, then finding himself in San Francisco on a lucrative free-agent deal.
Alexander saw limited time in the preseason, stemming mostly from his ACL recovery. When he did manage to play, however, Alexander looked rangy enough and healthy. Over the course of a full 60 minutes, and with the added effect of the Florida heat and humidity in early September, it will be interesting to see how the 25 year old holds up after missing substantial on-field time since last season.
It’s important the 49ers keep Alexander healthy, too. With the team’s defensive switch to a wide-9 alignment, guarding against interior runs by opponents will be crucial, placing Alexander’s run-stopping abilities at the forefront of coordinator Robert Saleh’s defensive plans.
If Alexander and the run stoppers hold up well enough, it will allow the previously mentioned Niners pass rush to do its job.