San Francisco 49ers: 10 best rookie seasons in franchise history

Best rookie seasons in San Francisco 49ers history: No. 8: CB, Tim McKyer (1986)

A third-round pick out of Texas-Arlington, cornerback Tim McKyer had the difficult task of entering a dynasty in progress and replacing an injured All-Pro in Eric Wright in the starting lineup.

Rookie cornerbacks often struggle against NFL-caliber passing, and throwing someone out to be a starter from day one often leads to early struggles.

McKyer, however, thrived.

Opposing quarterbacks challenged him, but he shrugged them off, recording six interceptions—leading all rookies. He was also the team leader in passes defended with 23—not bad, going up against a schedule that saw him challenged by quarterbacks like Dan Marino, Phil Simms, Jim Everett, Steve DeBerg, Ken O’Brien, Steve Bartowski, Tommy Kramer and Jay Schroeder.

Everett had the hardest time with McKyer, throwing two picks to him in the last game of the regular season to give McKyer the rookie interception crown.

McKyer would have some issues with team management and leave the team after four seasons; he isn’t exactly one of the all-time greats on the team.

As a rookie, though, his blanket coverage and a loudmouth made him an instant contributor.