Kwon Alexander Could be Steelers Missing Piece

Steeler Nation received great news on July 29th, welcoming another key piece to the defensive front seven. Kwon Alexander was signed to a one-year deal yesterday later in the evening. But what fans will appreciate is before he was signed officially, he was ready to get the process with the team. Alexander showed up to training camp ready to work and wasted no time getting acclimated with the team. The Steelers over the offseason have definitely added some key pieces to the linebacker group that will show some interesting position battles as camp moves along. 

Kwon will be joining a group that contains Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, and Mark Robinson.

In his career so far, Alexander has played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers, and the New York Jets. He was a 4th round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft out of LSU, who has produced multiple defensive standout players. His stats over that period of time accounts for racking up 590 combined tackles, 12.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, and 8 interceptions. Kwon was held back by some injuries such as a torn pec and a torn achilles but has still continued through the adversity to want to be a winner. Many may see some flashes of Ryan Shazier from Alexander. His speed and versatility fit the black and gold and is something the Steelers have been missing since they lost Ryan in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017. The Steelers have tried to find a replacement with players like Devin Bush, Robert Spillane, and Joe Schobert over the years, but it hasn’t worked.

Alexander brings a lot of veteran leadership to the defensive squad. His instincts can help the team in many ways by being very multi-dimensional in the system they run. 

The big question many may be concerned about is can he stay healthy and make the one-year contract worth it? 

He is a very physical player that likes to get to the ball quick wherever it is on the field. He visited the team back in May, but it was all about timing and to see where he fit in at the right time. Being 28 years old, he still can grow and develop at a high level – and that's what the team needs. Kwon displays great features in stopping the run but can be dominant in pass coverage as well. The Steelers have struggled for years trying to find balance and make the run defense dominant while having guys that can play over the middle against tall, lengthy tight ends that continue to dominate the game in this day and age. It will be important for him to get reps against teammates like Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Zach Gentry, and Conner Heyward. The dude brings a lot of energy to the table that can help Pittsburgh get back to the “hard nose football standard” they continue to attempt to reach that was once golden when the Steelers won the Lombardi in 2006 and 2009 with the dominant linebacker cores they had.