San Francisco 49ers: 5 worst players in 2018 through Week 7
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: Linebacker Malcolm Smith
Another big 49ers free-agent pickup, albeit in 2017, strong-side linebacker Malcolm Smith lands at No. 4 on this list.
Smith missed his first year with the Niners with a pectoral injury. Hamstring issues in training camp and the preseason also cost him the first two weeks of 2018 too.
In fairness to Smith, however, San Francisco’s one-time abundance of inside linebackers forced Robert Saleh to bump the veteran out of the WILL and MIKE spots and into the SAM position at the left of the defense.
SAM linebackers are often tasked with covering other teams’ tight ends and running backs in pass protection. Smith has never thrived in coverage, and it’s becoming pretty clear the move to SAM hasn’t gone well for the 49ers defense. Through seven weeks, Smith’s Pro Football Focus coverage grade is a lowly 33.7.
On a positive note, Smith has offered a bit of something in the pass rush, posting a PFF grade of 73.6 in this category. But that’s been on just 14 pass-rush snaps, so it’s not exactly a large sample size.
At any rate, it’s becoming clear the Niners’ lucrative investment in Smith back in 2017 hasn’t been paying off the desired dividends.
And the defense is hurting as a result.