Even though he hasn’t practiced yet and may not be game-ready by Week 1, 49ers’ free agent acquisition Kwon Alexander is already having a positive impact on the team’s group of linebackers.
Alexander tore his ACL on October 21 last year in a Week 7 game against the Browns. The team is taking it slow with the 24-year-old and holding him out of OTAs with the hope he can return in some capacity for training camp. Linebackers coach DeMeco Ryans said Alexander’s influence is already permeating throughout the rest of the team’s linebacking corps.
“He’s been great for us because he brings a different type of energy,” Ryans said according to Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area. “He brings swagger that I think we were kind of missing. He brings that edge that we needed. And he’s been great in our meeting rooms.”
It’s not much of a surprise that the former fourth-round pick from LSU is already making his mark on his new team. Tampa Bay wanted to retain Alexander in free agency, with their general manager Jason Licht calling him the “heartbeat of the defense.”
Alexander has four NFL seasons under his belt despite not turning 25 until early August. His familiarity with San Francisco’s defense, a similar scheme to the one he ran in Tampa Bay, has helped him acclimate quickly without taking live practice reps.
His quick assimilation to his new club helps the sizable four-year, $54 million contract the team gave him on Day 1 of the NFL’s legal tampering period in March make more sense. It was the largest deal for a linebacker in the league at the time, although the details of the contract showed a much more team-friendly agreement.
The coaching staff had a style of player in mind when they went searching for a linebacker in free agency. While other, more accomplished players were available, head coach Kyle Shanahan talked about how Alexander’s fast, physical style were needed in the second level of the defense. Ryans echoed a similar sentiment.
“Athleticism, and speed when he hits someone in zone coverage, he knocks them back,” he said according to Chan. “He really brings a lot of speed to the defense.”
His physical skill set will surely help the 49ers defense, which saw its linebackers struggle to tackle and play effectively in coverage a season ago. However, relying entirely on those athletic tools is risky for a player coming off a torn ACL.
The best news for San Francisco is that Alexander is still finding ways to affect the club without actually being on the field. It stands to reason that his contributions will increase substantially once he’s between the lines, even if he does see a small dip in the stellar athleticism that helped make him a Pro Bowler in 2017.
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