There's still plenty of football to play this season. But through the first three games, middle linebacker Kwon Alexander has put up some impressive numbers.
Alexander, the Buccaneers' fourth-round draft pick out of LSU, currently leads all rookies with 23 tackles. He's tied for No. 23 in the league in total tackles and has also defended three passes, the most of any inside linebacker in the NFL. Should he continue to produce the way he has been, he'll finish the season with 123 tackles.
How exactly does the start to Alexander's career compare to some of the best to ever wear a Buccaneers uniform?
In his first three games, Lavonte David picked up 19 tackles, four shy of what Alexander has now. Hall-of-Famer Derrick Brooks had 18 during his first three professional games.
Alexander's numbers compare favorably to some of the NFL's top linebackers, as well. Last season, the league's top three tacklers were Luke Kuechly, DeAndre Levy and Lavonte David. As rookies, their numbers were right on par with what Alexander's accomplished thus far.
Through the first three games of his career, Kuechly recorded 22 tackles, just one less than Alexander's total. Levy had three tackles during his first three games while David picked up 19, as mentioned above. A mark to keep an eye on moving forward is one set by Baltimore's C.J. Mosley last season. Mosley led all rookies in tackles last season with 99. At this point in 2014, he had 26.
