San Francisco 49ers: Season awards at the bye week
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Matt Breida
Quarterback C.J. Beathard is an obvious candidate for this award, coming off his best performance as an NFL player and having shown himself to at least be a capable backup. Fifth-rounders George Kittle and Trent Taylor, who have proved reliable options in the passing game throughout the season, are also strong candidates. Kittle is second among rookie tight ends in receptions (27) while Taylor’s (24) catches put him third among rookie wide receivers.
However, it is undrafted free agent running back Matt Breida whose impact has been more keenly felt.
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Breida had a 33-yard rushing touchdown in the win over the New York Giants and has been a consistent contributor as a runner and a receiver. He is averaging 4.2 yards per carry on his 52 rushing attempts, with his quickness providing a fitting complement to the more physical style of Carlos Hyde.
The former Georgia Southern star actually ranks ahead of Hyde, albeit from a much smaller sample size, in Football Outsiders’ DVOA, which measures a player’s value of an average running back in the same situations. He is seventh among rookie running backs in receptions and has 124 yards and a score through the air.
In both spelling Hyde and having a positive impact on both facets of the offense, Breida has ubeen the Niners’ most important offensive rookie and figures to have a valuable long-term role with the team.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Reuben Foster
He may have only played two games, but it can be argued that, until Jimmy Garoppolo definitively makes the franchise quarterback position his own, Reuben Foster is the face of the organization, such as been his impact. In the games with the Arizona Cardinals and the Giants, Foster has racked up 24 tackles, taking him to 32 on the season, good enough for 16th among all rookies.
Foster has displayed extremely impressive instincts, diagnosing run plays prior to the snap and showing the downhill burst to surge through gaps and make tackles at the line of scrimmage. Demonstrating range and sideline-to-sideline athleticism, Foster has also been impressive in coverage, allowing just two receptions for seven yards against the Giants to go with four stops and one quarterback hit, per Pro Football Focus.
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Pro Bowl honors are not out of the question if Foster continues in this vein. Solomon Thomas and Ahkello Witherspoon have impressed, but Foster is the clear frontrunner as the Niners’ best defensive rookie at the bye.