ILB Kwon Alexander hasn’t been in Pittsburgh long, but he has quickly made his impact felt.
The Steelers officially signed Alexander on July 30 and he suited up for his first preseason less than two weeks later. In a film room breaking down Alexander’s performance, we at Steelers Depot noted the speed and aggressiveness that he has brought to the table everywhere he’s been in the league, showing some punishing hits as well as great effort in pursuit.
After practice on Wednesday, fellow ILB Elandon Roberts was asked about Alexander and his adjustment to the team while learning on the fly.
“I think he’s doing a very good job,” Roberts said to the media on video from Steelers.com. “He got in late in the process and he’s doing a great job of adapting to what we do defensively, communicating with us well, and stuff like that. When he’s getting his opportunities, he’s making the best of them, and I just think how it should be right now with all 90 guys on the roster.”
Alexander mentioned after his first game in the Black and Gold that he loves playing in Pittsburgh’s system, which that allows him to run to the ball and plays to his style as the aggressor. Alexander also mentioned that he is still cramming the playbook as he tries to grasp the ins and outs of the defensive system. Still, he represented himself well in his Steelers debut.
While Roberts and Alexander may end up battling each other for playing time, Roberts is still showing support to a guy who only further upgrades Pittsburgh’s inside linebacker room from a season ago. Having the likes of Roberts and Alexander as well as Cole Holcomb and Mark Robinson will allow Pittsburgh to mix and match personnel depending on the situation, putting the guys with the best skill sets out there to combat the opposing offense and what they are throwing at them.
Alexander should only become more comfortable with more time to learn the system and with more reps in Pittsburgh’s defense during the preseason. When he’s up to speed, he could become a real difference maker for the Steelers after jumping on the moving train.
