Buccaneers: Five guys to watch when Hard Knocks begins

2. Kwon Alexander

We go from the quarterback of the offense to the quarterback of the defense. Kwon Alexander stepped right into this defense and despite missing the first four games of his career, immediately became the leader. He calls the defenses, and always is in the right place. If it weren’t for the four game suspension, Alexander would have been way over 100 tackles in each of his first two seasons. Not bad for a fourth round pick.

Be ready for Alexander to step up in big games, as he already has. He certainly has done it under duress, see the game against the Falcons after he lost his brother. To put it mildly, nothing fazes this young man. Despite the fact the national media hasn’t seen it yet, Alexander deserves mention in the same breath as Luke Kuechly. He will continue his dominance in year three.

With his ability to be in the right place at the right time, how does he prepare? Look at his intensity while he practices. He is going to be counted on to show young players like Kendell Beckwith the way. How does he lead during practice? Does he take Beckwith under his wing? Watch what he does off the field as well. The unique part of the show is what we see behind closed doors. Look at what Alexander does during meetings. How does he study? How does he prepare?

These are all thing we would never have the chance to see if it weren’t for Hard Knocks. Take advantage of it.