Aldon Smith

Think he deserves his own thread.

1. He now owns the most sacks in first two seasons record, passing Reggie White. He's got 31.5 at this moment with 4.5 games left.

2. He is on pace to set the single season sack record.


My question, just how good is he and how much do the sacks come from having Justin Smith in front of him? To me, Justin Smith obviously helps but if you watch the games (I've watched all but one) he beats lineman 1-on-1 constantly. He does well in a speed rush but a lot of his sacks come from his great bull rush. He's got ridiculously long arms which makes it hard for lineman to get hands on him.

Is he better than Clay Mathews?

 

Aldon Smith also benefits from having the best run stopping linebacker pair in the league to alleviate a lot of those duties. But he's very, very good.

Because I like being yelled at almost as much as I like making lists, Versatile's NFL pass-rusher power rankings:

1. DeMarcus Ware
2. J.J. Watt
3. Von Miller
4. Clay Matthews
5. Aldon Smith
6. John Abraham
7. Cameron Wake
8. Jason Pierre-Paul
9. Mario Williams
10. Geno Atkins

 

Aldon Smith is the best insane and socially unacceptable player the 49ers have had since Charles Haley. I'm even skipping right over TO.

 

When Reggie White came into the league, teams weren't passing 70 percent of the time.

 

Vers, the fact that sorry ass Mario Williams makes your list and Terrell Suggs doesn't is absurd.

 

Suggs is playing third downs only right now, right?

Obviously, at full strength, he'd be top two.

 

Ok, I thought we were talking of the last few years.

Suggs is back to playing full time, I believe.

 

The Smith "Brothers" are proof Mizzou can churn out SEC-caliber talent.

 

I think he's top five. I think it obviously helps that he plays on a defense with so many top-level players.

 

TO was crazy when he was with the 49ers, but most people didn't see that until he got to Philly.

 

Weeping uncontrollably after catching the game-winning TD vs. Green Bay in the '98 playoffs should have been a tip-off. I remember thinking, "WTF is wrong with this guy?"

 

People knew he was crazy in SF -- dancing on the star and his first coach and QB feuds were out here.

But with Haley, I think the 49ers to this day feel somewhat fortunate that he did not severely injure or kill someone. And Smith is displaying some of those early tendencies -- he has had four eyebrow-raising incidents this year alone. My fave was his house party that ended with him getting stabbed and another person getting shot.

Good traits to have in a pass rusher, though. Last thing you want there is a normal human being.