I don't believe the 49ers have released their final depth chart yet, but from watching all the pre-season games and seeing who is playing with who, it certainly seems like Hufanga's the front runner to be named starting SS to begin the season.
His stated goal going into camp was to be a pro-bowl special teams players in year 1.
I respect and appreciate him for this,,, and I guess I understand why he slipped so low in the draft (it was all about his "measurables"),,, but honestly I sort of don't. Personally had him ranked solidly in the 2nd round. Even thought he could sneak up higher with an awesome 40 time in combine. He didn't run and had a mediocre 4.61 at USC pro-day and the rest was history... seems to now have been a huge theft by my Niners to get him mid round.
Watching him play for the NIners is a carbon copy of watching him play at USC. It does not appear one bit that the change in the speed of the players at the NFL level is having any impact what so ever on his on-field production. The dude is a big play making tackling machine who is always around the ball.
He may not have anywhere near the potential of Troy P, but not at all a stretch to think he have same impact Sammy Knight had in year 1 starting at SS for the Saints and making the pro-bowl... Sammy was apparently too slow for the NFL too,,, but when are they going to learn??? If you play this position for USC's mostly man-up defense and produce like these guys did in college,,, you're going to do the same in the NFL.
I would not be shocked if the Niners started Hufanga as #2 SS in season opener playing in a dome on the road, but I want to see him start from day 1, because I know by end of the season he's going to our guy, and probably one of the best players on that entire stacked with talent Defensive unit.
Just FYI in case I'm the only one following this, but please discuss...
His stated goal going into camp was to be a pro-bowl special teams players in year 1.
I respect and appreciate him for this,,, and I guess I understand why he slipped so low in the draft (it was all about his "measurables"),,, but honestly I sort of don't. Personally had him ranked solidly in the 2nd round. Even thought he could sneak up higher with an awesome 40 time in combine. He didn't run and had a mediocre 4.61 at USC pro-day and the rest was history... seems to now have been a huge theft by my Niners to get him mid round.
Watching him play for the NIners is a carbon copy of watching him play at USC. It does not appear one bit that the change in the speed of the players at the NFL level is having any impact what so ever on his on-field production. The dude is a big play making tackling machine who is always around the ball.
He may not have anywhere near the potential of Troy P, but not at all a stretch to think he have same impact Sammy Knight had in year 1 starting at SS for the Saints and making the pro-bowl... Sammy was apparently too slow for the NFL too,,, but when are they going to learn??? If you play this position for USC's mostly man-up defense and produce like these guys did in college,,, you're going to do the same in the NFL.
I would not be shocked if the Niners started Hufanga as #2 SS in season opener playing in a dome on the road, but I want to see him start from day 1, because I know by end of the season he's going to our guy, and probably one of the best players on that entire stacked with talent Defensive unit.
Just FYI in case I'm the only one following this, but please discuss...
