Grading the Top San Francisco 49ers Rookies

One commonality that good NFL teams have is that they draft extremely well. I am not talking about no-brain Top 10 picks. Rather, I am talking about finding quality in the mid and late rounds. This is how you fill out your roster and find hidden gems. 

Still, there is a reason why certain players go higher than others: they are just more talented. So, if you are able to find the right combination of value and need up and down the draft, the chances that your team succeeds is going to just be that much greater. 

The San Francisco 49ers have been hit and miss in the draft over the last decade. Not just in the middle or later rounds, but in the first round as well. Remember Kentwan Balmer and Rashaun Woods? Yeah, me too. 

This all changed last season and progressed a great deal in April. San Francisco has done a great job finding talent and filling needs at certain positions in every round of the draft over the last couple seasons. Future Pro Bowl performer, NaVorro Bowman in the third round of the 2010 draft, comes to mind.

Today, I'm going to focus on five San Francisco 49ers rookies that have made an impact thus far in 2011. Some are better known and play at more popular positions than others, but all have or will continue to make an impact this season. Accordingly, I will grade each players' performance thus far. 

5. Colin Kaepernick

Second round, 36th pick

2011 Stats: three completions, three attempts, 35 yards

Small sample size aside, Kaepernick looked completely lost during the preseason and don't take his late game appearance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an indicator of future success this season. He is extremely raw and still a year away from being able to contribute on a regular basis. 

I put Kaepernick on this list because he has seen the field a little bit this season and is the next quarterback on the 49ers roster behind Alex Smith. If something were to happen to Smith, I doubt very much that any San Francisco fan would have much confidence in his ability to perform at a high level as a rookie. 

That said, the talent is there and Kaepernick has a bright future. Jim Harbaugh has tried like the dickens to get the former Nevada star some playing time, but external factors have disabled his ability to. I do expect Kaepernick to see the field as the season progresses in wildcat formations and other trick schemes where he can use his athletic ability and strong arm to succeed. 

Grade: Incomplete 

4. Bruce Miller

Seventh round, 211th pick

Five receptions, 40 yards

To look at stats when it comes to the fullback position would be foolhardy. Rather, look at how the fullback is playing and what type of impact he has made on the offense. 

Since Bruce Miller took over for Moran Norris following Week 2, the 49ers are averaging 158 rushing yards per game. He has been one of the best blocking backs in the NFL over the last quarter season.

What I like about Miller is that he doesn't just look to light up opposing defensive players at the line. Instead, he looks beyond the line of scrimmage and continues down field in order to throw second and third blocks. He is extremely physical, but also has great athleticism for the fullback position. I don't think it is too early to say that Bruce Miller reminds me of a young, Tom Rathman. 

What makes this even more amazing is the fact that the rookie played defensive end in college and Central Florida and was asked to switch to a position he had never played before. Bruce Miller addressed this transition in a recent interview with colleague, Max Strauss, over at Pro Interviews. 

"

Strauss : What is the best part about the transition to fullback?

Miller : The best part about being a fullback is laying a block and watching the running back run down the field towards the end zone.

 

"

You can catch the entire transcript of that really good interview here. 

The success that Miller has had making the transition from defensive end to fullback has surprised a lot of people. Many fans questioned the selection of him in the seventh round, if that is even possible, because he was deemed a "project." Well that couldn't be further from the truth right now. 

Once Bruce Miller gains more experience in the offensive back field you can expect him to be a dynamic and dominating fullback in the NFL. Not only will he be a lead blocker for years to come, it appears Miller might even be a check-down weapon in the passing game. At this point, we couldn't have asked for more.

Grade: A+ 

3. Kendall Hunter

Fourth round, 115th pick

37 rushes, 166 yards, 4.5 average, four receptions, 74 yards and one touchdown

Kendall Hunter has turned out to be the complement to Frank Gore that San Francisco has been looking for over the last five seasons. Through six games, Hunter is on pace for 613 total yards, which is great value for a rookie fourth-round pick. 

Most draft experts knew that Kendall Hunter was a solid pro prospect, but there were issues in regards to his size and fumble issues. Neither have unfolded like many expected so far this season. Instead, Hunter uses that lack of size to his advantage and has yet to lose the ball on the ground. 

Most rookie running back struggle in pass protection, not Kendall Hunter. He has been extremely solid in that aspect, which has saved Alex Smith from a few hits here and there. Hunter also appears to have solid hands out of the back field: a prerequisite for the west coast offense.

Many people were just looking for the former Oklahoma State star to be a nice alternative to Gore and take some pressure off him. Instead, it appears that Kendall Hunter might actually be the 49ers running back of the future. This plays right into the idea that good teams find gems late. If Hunter can continue to improve and perform like he has, that means that San Francisco will be able to avoid drafting a running back early to replace Gore in the not so distant future.

Grade: A

2. Chris Culliver

Third round, 80th pick.

Eight tackles, one interception and four passes defended

After not seeing a whole lot of action in the first three games, Chris Culliver has played himself right into the corner rotation for the San Francisco 49ers with incredibly solid play over the last few weeks. Many people came to the conclusion that the 49ers reached for the former South Carolina safety/corner in the third round of April's draft. 

I wasn't too sure about that. 

Although he didn't have the experience at corner, Culliver showed tremendous technique in the ladder part of his career in college. This led me to believe that his transition to the NFL wouldn't be as great as some scouts thought. Still, no one could have expected this type of performance early on in his career. 

Culliver has been strong in man coverage on the outside and plays well in the slot as a nickel corner. I love his closing speed and the fact that the rookie isn't afraid to place close to the line of scrimmage. In the 49ers most recent game against the Detroit Lions, Culliver continually took away the outside and forced Matthew Stafford to look up the middle.

This did two things: first, it took away the big play. Secondly, it forced the Lions to play right into the strength of the 49ers defense, the middle of the field. I am not 100 percent sure if that was done by design, but I would be inclined to believe so. 

Right now, it looks like Chris Culliver is the 49ers second best cover corner, which isn't bad considering that Tarrell Brown has played above-average. If he continues this ascension, there is no reason to believe that Chris Culliver cannot be a starting corner in the NFL. In fact, it might happen sooner rather than later.

Grade: A

1. Aldon Smith

First round, seventh pick.

11 tackles, one forced fumble, 5.5 sacks and three passes defended

Aldon Smith is currently on pace to break the NFL rookie sack record. This is surprising for multiple reasons. First, he did not acquire a sack through the first three games, all 5.5 sacks have come over the last few outings. Secondly, many people perceived Smith to be a project coming out of college as a defensive end and making the transition to the outside linebacker position.

Once again, the 49ers front office made the unpopular decision to select a "reach" in the 2011 draft and it paid off. Smith's pass-rushing technique is already well above NFL standards and his speed at the line is simply amazing. 

Not only has Aldon Smith racked up 5.5 sacks over the last three games, he continually reeks havoc on opposing quarterbacks by being a pressure orientated linebacker. This means that he doesn't give up on the play and has a good sense as to where the quarterback is going to go when the pocket collapses. This is something that is extremely hard to learn: only the best pass rushers in the league have this ability and it was evident from the get go with them. The same applies for Aldon Smith.

The rookie linebacker has also impressed in coverage by being able to understand the scheme of the offense and drop back into coverage when necessary. This was evident by his near interception against the Detroit Lions two weeks ago. If Smith can continue this progression you will see him become an every down player in the NFL with a chance of racking up double-digit sacks every single season.

There is a reason why I have started to compare him to Demarcus Ware, however premature that may be. 

Grade: A+