Niner Noise
FanSided

Ranking the 49ers’ top 10 special teamers of all time

By Aaron Tan

SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 26: Bradley Pinion #5 of the San Francisco 49ers punts the ball away against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium on November 26, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 26: Bradley Pinion #5 of the San Francisco 49ers punts the ball away against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium on November 26, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – AUGUST 23: Punter Bradley Pinion #5 of the San Francisco 49ers kicks the ball away to the Dallas Cowboys in the second quarter of a preseason game on August 23, 2015 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers won 23-6. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – AUGUST 23: Punter Bradley Pinion #5 of the San Francisco 49ers kicks the ball away to the Dallas Cowboys in the second quarter of a preseason game on August 23, 2015 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers won 23-6. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /

No. 6: Punter Bradley Pinion

Two feelings came to my senses when the 49ers drafted Bradley Pinion in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft — shock and disappointment.

A punter in the fifth round? Pass.

While, yes, the 49ers could have waited a little longer to pull the trigger on him, Pinion has been a delightful surprise for the team.

Pinion struggled in his rookie year, but since then, he has been consistently pinning the enemy deep back into their own territory.

He has also appeared at many community events, which included the visit to my high school, off the field to help the local community.

With quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo now at the reigns of what is destined to become a high-octane offense, Pinion will not be needed as much as he’s been before.

However, if the 49ers come up short on third down and are forced to punt, fans can rest easy knowing that Pinion will do his job well.