1. Kwon Alexander
I have mentioned this thought before, but it absolutely deserves repeating. Kwon Alexander does not receive the respect that he deserves around this league. Granted, he is only hitting his third season, but his performance to date has been deserving and then some. Ever since he returned from his four-game rookie suspension, Alexander has been nothing short of spectacular.
With 93 tackles in 12 games as a rookie, he was on a pace for 124 total tackles. Alexander followed that up with 145 tackles, 108 solo last season in a year that was arguably Pro Bowl worthy. He may not be Luke Kuechly, but he certainly deserves mention in the conversation. Alexander’s numbers are right behind Kuechly’s. 145 tackles should have garnered him an invite last year. As the Bucs finally get the respect they deserve in 2017, so will Alexander.
He’s a gamer too. It would be hard to replicate the game he played against the Falcons after his brother passed away. It brought back shades of Brett Favre‘s performance after his Dad died. Kwon could do no wrong that day, and that’s typical against the Falcons. When it’s a big opponent, Alexander brings his “A” game. In four games against Atlanta for his career, he averages just under eight tackles per game.
This is the year Alexander gets acknowledged with a spot in the Pro Bowl.