Ranking the NY Jets' 3 rumored free agent targets

3. NY Jets target: Kwon Alexander, LB, NY Jets

It isn't hard to see why the Jets are interested in Kwon Alexander. In fact, their interest in him pre-dates the draft as the team reportedly brought him in for a visit back in April, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Jets remain interested in the former Pro Bowl linebacker as we approach mandatory minicamp. His experience with Jets head coach Robert Saleh is certainly a contributing factor.

A fourth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Alexander spent the first four years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, earning his first and so far only Pro Bowl nod in 2017. Unfortunately, injuries have prevented him from ever truly reaching his ceiling in the NFL.

Alexander was a big-money signing for the San Francisco 49ers in 2019, but the former LSU standout would play just 13 games in Santa Clara before he was shipped to the New Orleans Saints the following year.

Still, Saleh clearly liked what he saw from the speedy, uber-athletic Alexander. When healthy, Alexander is a perfect fit for what the Jets look for in their linebackers, but his injury concerns are why he remains a free agent in June.

Alexander has played more than 12 games in just one of his seven NFL seasons to this point, that coming all the way back in 2016. He's landed on the injured reserve four times in his career, all for different injuries.

He's torn his ACL, torn his Achilles, suffered season-ending elbow and pectoral injuries, and even battled hamstring issues early in his career.

The old saying that the best ability is availability rings true here. While Kwon Alexander would be an exciting addition to the Jets' defense, trusting him to stay healthy for even more than half a season just isn't wise at this stage.