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Right after the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017 list was done, the NFL decided to turn it into a top 110 by listing the 10 players who just missed out on the top 100.
And one of those ten players is a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not, surprisingly, cornerback Brent Grimes, who led the NFL in passes defensed last year and notched four interceptions. Instead, linebacker Kwon Alexander was listed at number 109.
That’s pretty deserved. Alexander took some steps forward this year after a promising rookie season, improving in every aspect of his game. With 1 interception, seven passes defensed, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and three sacks, he had a pretty impactful season.
It’ll be interesting to see how Alexander will adjust to the Bucs’ experimenting with more 3-4 looks and a bigger defensive front seven next season. Perhaps the Bucs will put him in position to make a few more splash plays—or perhaps he’ll struggle to adjust to a 3-4 inside linebacker role on some plays. It’ll be interesting to see, but I have high hopes for him.