San Francisco 49ers rookie Aldon Smith is making noise just a handful of games into his NFL career. Smith becomes the first 49ers rookie since Patrick Willis in 2007 to win defensive rookie of the month honors.
The seventh overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, Smith has recorded 6.5 sacks after San Francisco's first seven games. Smith didn't register a single sack during the team's first three games (all in September) but recorded between 1.0 and 2.5 sacks in each of the team's four contests in October to ring up his impressive total.
Smith also had 13 tackles and a safety during his October campaign. If he maintains his pace, Smith could log roughly 15 sacks by year's end.
Though young, Smith has become a central part of San Francisco's defense. The rookie has yet to start a game and could become all the more dangerous once he gets into the starting lineup. If Smith can continue producing at the same level that he is playing at right now, he could solidify his role as one of the most fearsome pass rushers in the league.