When Aldon Smith was selected with the 7th overall selection by the San Francisco 49ers, there was a lot of head scratching, and many of the draft “experts” said it was a reach and he was selected too hight. Smith is starting to make believers around the league and certainly has established himself in San Francisco.
Smith has racked up 6.5 sacks during the 49ers 6-1 start, all coming during the last four games. If he keeps that pace up, he’s a strong candidate for defensive rookie of the year, as well as a potential Pro Bowl selection in his first season.
“It would mean something,” Smith said. “Every day is just part of the story, man. I’m just kind of going day by day. Rookie of the year would mean a lot.”
And all of this comes while playing a position he hadn’t played before.
Smith has been transitioned from defensive end to outside linebacker. He joins a strong linebacking corps in San Francisco led by Patrick Willis and with a standout in NaVorro Bowman. The linebackers have been the muscle in this defense which leads the league with 15.3 points and 73 yards rushing allowed per game.
Not that a Harbaugh building a tenacious defense around a skilled group of linebackers is a shocker, but Smith’s development has exceeded expectations so far.
“Aldon is playing well. Very much expected of him, he’s our first-round pick,” Willis said. “But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where you’re drafted, when you get the opportunity to go out there and play, you have to make it count. And he’s most certainly doing that.”
Smith has played a lot of linebacker, but has also spent a fair amount of time on the defensive line. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio credits Smith’s commitment to excel at both positions, since he has been moved back and forth between positions with different requirements.
“The toughest part, No. 1, when you’re a dropper, is figuring out if it’s a run or pass and getting into your drop at the right time,” Fangio said. “Invariably what happens to most guys who are making this transition, they’re either one way or the other to the extreme. They’re very late getting out in their drop. Or because they’re dropping, they’re way too early. And you’ll see a lot of these guys drop when it’s a run. I know that sounds very elementary. But that’s the hardest part.”
