Ranking the 49ers: Kwon Alexander leads the ‘Hot Boyzz’ but he barely rates in top 15
In this three-part series, we’re going to offer our rankings of the top 15 players on the 49ers roster. This list aims to provide a summation of talent, track record and value into the future. With apologies to recent first-round draft picks Javon Kinlaw and Brandon Aiyuk, only players that have played NFL snaps qualify.
No. 15: Kwon Alexander, LB
The case for Alexander is built more on intangibles than production. Yes, Alexander flies around and makes the occasional splashy play. But he was 96th in Pro Football Focus’ tackling efficiency metric among linebackers while missing roughly one of every five tackles (Dre Greenlaw was sixth-best at one missed tackle for every 21.5). How Alexander butters his bread is the positive impact he has on his teammates. His infectious personality rubbed off on buttoned-up rookie Fred Warner, helping him turn into one of the “Hot Boyzz,” which would have sounded crazy in 2018. Nick Bosa called Alexander the defense’s MVP, which is no small thing, and the energy the defense played with reached a different level with Alexander on the field.
No. 14: Dee Ford, DE
Ford might have been in the top five of this list 12 months ago. He was coming off a 13-sack year with the Kansas City Chiefs that included playing over 1,000 snaps and leading the NFL in turnover-worthy plays (forced fumbles and pressures turned into interceptions). But Ford played just 22 percent of the defensive snaps in 2019 and worked primarily as a pass rushing specialist once Bosa became an every-down player in Week 2. Despite being limited with knee tendinitis and a hamstring strain, Ford remained a productive piece of the NFL’s premier defensive line by accumulating 6.5 sacks and had Pro Football Focus’ fifth-highest pass-rush productivity metric ahead of Von Miller, Myles Garrett and J.J. Watt. His speed off the edge can’t be replicated by anyone else on the roster and “unlocked” the rest of the defensive line, according to coordinator Robert Saleh.
No. 13: Mike McGlinchey, RT
The No. 9 overall pick in 2018 has turned into a significant asset along the 49ers’ improving offensive line. He’s become very good at run blocking in Kyle Shanahan’s complicated system and stood up well against some of the league’s best pass rushers in his first two seasons. His 22 pressures allowed last season tied for 11th among tackles to play 50 percent of his team’s snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s also taken Joe Staley’s lead and will have more of a leadership role entering his third season now that Staley is retired. McGlinchey has the goods to play at a high level for a long time.
No. 12: Kyle Juszczyk, FB
Juszczyk embodies the difficulty in defending the 49ers. He can catch long passes downfield, improvise midplay to throw key blocks in the running game and stiff arm safeties into oblivion. Shanahan loves to use Juszczyk all over the field. He can be a mismatch in a multitude of situations by being able to outrun linebackers and be a blocking force against defensive backs. There may not be many good fullbacks left in the league, but the four-time Pro Bowler is unquestionably the best right now and is in a good spot playing for a coach that knows how to utilize his skill set.
No. 11: K’Waun Williams, DB
Williams asserted himself as one of the best nickel backs in the league in 2019. He forced a team-high six fumbles and added two interceptions. He proved valuable as a blitzer and didn’t allow a touchdown in coverage after Week 2 against the Bengals. Williams’ season on the league’s best pass defense should elevate him beyond the “under the radar” category. He’s good at a difficult position and might force the 49ers, or another team, to pay him accordingly ahead of his 2021 free agency.
Look for No. 10 through 6 and 5 through 1 later this week.
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 6:51 AM.