When the San Francisco 49ers were selecting former Missouri Tigers star Aldon Smith with the No. 7 selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, they knew they had someone with potential to become an impact pass rusher. But it’d be difficult to believe that anyone knew it would happen this quickly. Smith has definitely justified the high draft choice on him with a season that every NFL team would love to get from a first-year player and he’s definitely a candidate for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year alongside Von Miller.
In Matt Williamson’s latest Rookie Report, he writes, “Smith had only one sack in Week 16. Only one. That is what it is getting to when describing this phenomenal pass-rusher. The Niners have done a fantastic job of using Smith with Justin Smith on stunts, which frees the rookie up on an inside rush.”
On the season, Smith has 14 sacks and is only a half sack behind the all-time rookie sack record set by Jevon Kearse.