The 49ers didn’t waste time filling their need at WILL linebacker. Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter both reported former Buccaneers linebacker Kwon Alexander will sign with San Francisco.
His $13.5 million average annual value is the most among inside linebackers in the NFL. He’ll get $27 million guaranteed, according to Schefter.
Alexander is coming off a torn ACL that sidelined him for the final 10 games of last season.
The four-year veteran was a fourth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017 despite playing just 12 games. He also posted 145 tackles in the 2016 campaign.
Alexander is a good athlete, but some questions surround how well his athleticism will translate coming off a torn ACL. He’s fast enough to run sideline-to-sideline and hang with running backs and tight ends. He’s undersized for a linebacker, though, at 6-1 and 227 pounds. That results in some issues with missed tackles in space.
The good news for the 49ers is that they’re getting a Pro Bowl-caliber player when he’s at his best, and he’s still just 24 years old. The 49ers needed high-quality players in their front seven, and Alexander projects to be that once he’s fully recovered from his ACL injury.
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