HOW DID OUR ROOKIES DO? | Page 6 | 49ers Webzone Forum

buck · 2011-09-03T13:28:43-07:00

Even though preseason does not mean all that much, it is perhaps instructive to look at the numbers for our first four picks. Colin Kaepernick had by far the worst preseason of any rookie quarterback. He completed only 48% of his passes. Had five interceptions and was sacked 8 times. He had a quarterback rating of 23.9. Kendall Hunter rushed 35 times for 231 yards. He averaged 6.6 yards a carry. Had 1 TD. Arguably, he had best preseason of any rookie running back. Chris Culliver had 16 solo tackles, 3 assists, 4 passes defended, and 1 interception. In comparison, Patrick Peterson had 6 solo tackles, 0 assists, 2 passes defended and 1 interception. Peterson did return the pick for six. Aldon Smith had 17 solo tackles, 2 assists, 3.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble. He had more sacks than any rookie. In contrast, Robert Quinn had 3 solo tackles, 1 assist, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and one blocked kick. To extend the comparison, Demarcus Dobbs had 8 tackles,1 assist, and two sacks. In my judgement.Dobbs, an undrafted free agent, had at least as good of a preseason as Quinn. Now, we have to see what happens over the next two years.

SANTA CLARA – Bruce Miller had one goal when he arrived at 49ers headquarters for the first time in late July – make the squad.

Five months later, Miller has started eight games at fullback and played 568 snaps, second-most among 49ers rookies. In all, nine 49ers rookies appeared in games during the regular season, a strong indication that the team had one of its best drafts in years.

Coach Jim Harbaugh admits he didn't expect much from his rookies when the season began. In typical years, coaches get their hands on the incoming crop of rookies in April or May and hold a dozen or so practices before teams assemble for training camp. The lockout, however, meant that Harbaugh didn't even meet some of his rookies until the eve of training camp."The idea in my head was that they were at a real disadvantage going into training camp," Harbaugh said. "That veteran players who knew the routine, knew the new systems, had played in other systems, et cetera, would be way ahead."

That's not how it worked out. Led by cornerback Chris Culliver and defensive end Aldon Smith on defense and Miller and running back Kendall Hunter on offense, the 49ers got big contributions from their draft picks throughout the season. Hunter started the team's Week 4 game in Philadelphia. Miller, who played defensive end in college, started his first game in Week 3 against Cincinnati.

"I think the thing that is most impressive about them is that they stepped right in and followed the example that Frank (Gore) and the others set for them," tackle Joe Staley said of the offensive rookies. "They asked a lot of questions, did whatever was asked of them and prepared well. And I think that set them up for a lot of success."

Smith on Thursday was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Month. After finishing tied for fifth in the league with 14 sacks, he also is a leading contender for Defensive Rookie of the Year. One of the knocks against Smith in terms of the award is that he didn't start a game this season. However, he played more non-special teams snaps than any of the 49ers' rookies. Smith, who mainly entered the game as a defensive end in passing situations, played 489 of San Francisco's 1,014 defensive snaps – or 48 percent – this season. His main competitor for the Defensive Rookie of Year award, Denver linebacker Von Miller, started 15 games and played nearly 900 snaps.

When special teams plays are added to the total, Culliver comes out with the most snaps by a 49ers rookie this season with 617. Safety Colin Jones also had a big role on special teams, while undrafted defensive lineman Demarcus Dobbs was a regular on special teams during the second half of the season.Mike Person, a seventh-round pick on the offensive line, and quarterback Scott Tolzien, who went undrafted, were the only two rookies on the active roster who didn't play a snap.

Bruce Miller said he and the other rookies were used to playing 12 games in a season and that the 49ers, including the exhibition season, are preparing for their 21st game. Still, he and his fellow rookies all said they felt better now than they did at the end of their college seasons.Hunter, for instance, said his recovery routine at Oklahoma State consisted of running and lifting weights and little else. Until this season, he had not been to a chiropractor and or had a sports massage. "I had one (massage) before I got here," he said. "But it was a feel-good, make-you-go-to-sleep massage. So I thought all massages were like that until I got here. It was kind of … different."

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/06/4166943/49ers-rookies-defied-odds-to-become.html#mi_rss=49ers#storylink=cpy