Tiny Hands Be Damned, Alex Smith is Going to be a Good Quarterback

When it comes to first-overall picks, specifically franchise quarterbacks, patience isn't a virtue most fans hold. But Alex Smith is getting ready to show 49ers Nation that good things come to those who wait.

After a less than successful start to his career (a 1-11 TD-INT ratio), Smith showed signs of improvement last season in his second year. Big things are expected of the 49ers this season, most of which belies the optimism surrounding Smith's progression, and so far the trajectory is still upwards. Last night's Monday Night Football preseason game against the Broncos was the first in the newly-renamed Bill Walsh Field, and as the San Jose Mercury News' Tim Kawakami notes, Smith is beginning to do its namesake proud.

It wasn't Joe Montana. It wasn't Steve Young. It was just a dumb exhibition in August, against a Denver defense that wasn't doing anything tricky. But this was the first game played on Bill Walsh Field, and, in the short time Smith was out there, he looked like the right guy at the right place, and he looked like he finally was realizing that himself.

Smith finished the game 4-for-5 for 58 yards, hooking up with Arnaz Battle for a 26-yard gain that landed the 49ers on the Denver one-yard line, setting up a touchdown. More importantly, he took the 49ers on two drives, both of which produced points. Smith has seen the field better this year, he's been delivering with poise and efficiency -- two things Walsh stressed.

The 49ers' success doesn't really rely on Smith -- the team proved last year it could ride the legs of Frank Gore. But a breakthrough season for the quarterback could be the difference between the 49ers being a fringe playoff team and a division champion.