Willis already has vet instincts

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Aug 5, 2007 | by Dennis GeorgatosSTAFF

SANTA CLARA -- The screen pass from Alex Smith to Michael Robinson seemed to be developing nicely in the 49ers' intrasquad scrimmage Saturday.

Smith was in retreat from a heavy rush, and Robinson slipped off to the side, but he did not go unnoticed. As soon as Robinson gathered in the pass, he was met by rookie linebacker Patrick Willis and stopped for no gain.

Willis, the 49ers' top draft pick out of the University of Mississippi, has been making those kinds of plays with increasing regularity during the team's training camp in Santa Clara.

"He's a young guy that's coming in advertised as this great athlete, and that's obviously the first thing you see about him," fellow linebacker Jeff Ulbrich said. "But beyond that, he's got some unteachable instincts, stuff in the pass game, the run game where he's doing things that took a lot of us years to recognize. I'm not sure if he knows what he is doing half the time, but he's getting it done. He's doing it, and it's just a special deal, you know?" Earlier this week, during 7-on-7 drills Willis showcased his speed - - he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.51 seconds at the NFL Combine -- by going down the sideline step for step with the speedy Robinson and reaching up to tip away a well-thrown ball from Smith.

During team drills, he showcased his instincts, stuffing a runner at the line of scrimmage and chasing another one down from the backside. He also had interceptions on consecutive days.

"Everything is starting to come to me a little bit more now," said Willis, adding he's so anxious to make an impact that he gets the feeling he's trying to "sprint before I crawl."

"The big thing is just learning a little bit each day and getting better in every aspect and just not staying the same," Willis said.

Willis, 22, who won the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker last season, already has been penciled in as the 49ers' nickel linebacker, meaning he'll substitute in on passing downs. The 49ers are counting on his speed and range to help tighten their third-down coverage, which was one of their biggest weaknesses last season.

Derek Smith, a fixture in the lineup the past six years, remains the starter at middle linebacker in the base defense but he'll also be pushed for playing time by Willis.

Coach Mike Nolan said at this point, no player should feel he has a job locked up. He said that includes Smith in the base setup and Willis as the starter in the third-down package.

"But he's done a good job," Nolan said of Willis. "He's a good football player. We're easing him in. He's starting in the sub package and not the base package -- that's kind of Derek's job to lose. We'll see how far (Willis) goes with the sub before we do much with the base."

Willis said he's already benefited tremendously from the coaching of Mike Singletary, a Hall of Fame linebacker, and the insights and advice from his fellow linebackers, including Smith.

"I want to mold my play after those guys because they've been in the league and doing it a long time," Willis said. "They know what it takes. If they're doing what they're doing now, I'm learning and taking all the knowledge I can from them."

But he's shown he's already pretty good at the most important elements in being an exceptional NFL linebacker.

"When it's all said and done, our job is to go get the ball. It's to be physical, but we've also got to stop the ball. And that's what you do every chance you get," Willis said.