Aldon Smith: First-Round Draft Pick for the San Francisco 49ers

Aldon Smith grew up and played high school football in Raytown, Missouri. His senior year, Smith recorded 60 tackles, 12 sacks, and seven forced fumbles.

Smith was recruited by colleges across the country but decided to play in his home state and stayed in Missouri. He finished his freshman season in 2009 with 60 tackles and 11 sacks. Smith was named the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year and first team freshman All-American

As a sophomore in 2010, Smith played in nine games (four of them on a broken leg), pulling in 48 tackles and six sacks. Yes, on a broken leg. This show of toughness, was no doubt a big part of Trent Baalke's adoration for the kid. How can you not love that?

I was amazed with Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes for playing with broken hands last year, but a broken leg? That is either insane or tough or both.

After going under the radar due to the injury in his sophomore year, Smith surprised a lot of people when he decided to enter the 2011 NFL draft. 

Not to be out done, 49ers GM Trent Baalke surprised even more people when he snatched Smith up at No. 7. Here is what he had to say about the Aldon Smith pick.

"

We feel very good about the pick, very good about him developing sooner than later. We’re not looking at this as a project. This is a guy that has a lot of talent that we’re looking to get onto the field and into the rotation as soon as we can.

I just understand when we make the decision like this, as we all did in the room, that there is a learning curve and we’re willing to go through it with him because of the talent that he has."

Smith is a very young guy and will need some good coaching to make a quick and full adjustment to the NFL. That being said, he has an amazing physical presence. It's not just his obvious size and strength, but he also has huge 36-inch arms, great for swatting down balls on the line and getting a hand on the QB. 

Aldon Smith may be relatively unknown right now, but I have a feeling things are going to change very soon, at least for Sam Bradford and whoever the new guys are in Arizona and Seattle.

 

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