Buccaneers: Three bold predictions for the 2017 season

2. Kwon Alexander will Go to his First Pro Bowl

This one probably isn’t that bold to Bucs fans. We all know the gem of a football player that Dirk Koetter has in this guy. However, the national audience is another story, which we talked about yesterday. Kwon Alexander simply doesn’t get the respect that he deserves. What he deserves is to be mentioned in the same breath as his division rival, Luke Kuechly. Kwon is that good and there are no two ways about it.

The numbers tell us a lot. As a rookie he put up 93 tackles in only 12 games. Playing a full season last year he led the team with 145 tackles. Potentially, there was a sour taste that lingered from Kwon’s rookie suspension, but that simply doesn’t do justice to his level of play. His performance in 2016 alone should have earned him an invitation. The way he has grasped this defense and taken over games should have more people taking notice. I guarantee you the Falcons know exactly who #58 is.

Go past the numbers and look at his athleticism. You simply can’t teach it.  Take a look at the piece I wrote about Vernon Hargreaves and his interception against New Orleans. Vernon was solid to be in the right place at the right time, but look at the play that Kwon made. That tip was phenomenal. It’s not so easy to get that type of height, and the interception doesn’t happen without him.

This will be the year that he finally gets the recognition he deserves.