With the No. 7 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected Missouri defensive end 
The 6-foot-4, 263-pound pass rusher set a freshman record at Missouri recording 11.5 sacks. He only totaled 5.5 as a redshirt sophomore, but it was due to Smith playing with a fractured right fibula for parts of the season.
"We got the guy we thought was the best available player - the best fit - the guy we wanted to be a 49er," head coach Jim Harbaugh said of his first-ever draft pick.
For more information on Smith, the newest 49ers draft pick, read his confernce call with the Bay Area media.
On whether he had any idea that the 49ers were going to pick him that early in the draft:
“I had no idea. This is amazing man, it’s amazing.”
On whether he visited the 49ers in Santa Clara:
“Yes I did, I had a visit with them.”
On whether he had any inkling during that visit that he might get drafted seventh overall, how his visit went and who he met with:
“My visit was really good. I met with Jim Leavitt, the linebackers coach. I met with coach Harbaugh, the defensive coordinator [Vic Fangio], I met with everybody. I met with the special teams coach [Brad Seely]. We all went for dinner actually. But after I left that visit I definitely didn’t know I was going to be picked at number seven or that they really had that much interest, but I enjoyed the trip and it’s going to be amazing to be in San Francisco.”
On the type of player he is and the impact he expects to have right away with the 49ers:
“I’m an athletic player. I’m a pass-rush guy who gets to the quarterback. I’m expecting to come in and make a contribution on defense and learn the system and be a part of the team.”
On whether he thought he would be drafted as a linebacker and whether he was prepared to be moved to a linebacker:
“I wasn’t, but I visited with a lot of 3-4 teams on my visits, so I really wasn’t sure where I was going to go.”
On what he knows about LB
“I know, Patrick Willis, the guy who trained him at API (Athletic Performance Inc.), his name is Barry, he trained me too. He works me out and I know a little bit about Patrick Willis. He was a great player at Ole Miss and it’s going to be crazy to play with him. It’s going to be exciting.”
On how eager he is for the NFL lockout to end so he can get to work learning the 3-4 position:
“Wherever it goes, I’m definitely excited to be playing football again and I can’t wait to be back out there.”
On how close he is to DT
“He played at Missouri. I know him; I don’t know him personally, but I think one thing I love about him is I broke his sack record my freshman year in Missouri.”
On what it means to come to the 49ers who have a new coach with at an energized time for the franchise:
“I’m definitely excited. Me and coach Harbaugh had a great visit and I just want to make the organization proud and make them happy they picked me.”
On who called him on the phone with the pick:
“Coach Harbaugh talked to me.”
On what Harbaugh said to him:
“He said, ‘How are you doing?’ Just to let me know, asked different questions and let me know they were going to be taking me.”
On whether he thought at any point that his former Missouri teammate QB Blaine Gabbert would get picked by the 49ers:
“I did not know where Blaine was going to go and I’m not sure he went yet because I’ve been doing all these interviews. I think he went to Jacksonville. But Blaine’s going to do great wherever he goes and I’m excited for him.”
On whether he can recall the circumstances of when he first learned he had sacking ability and who the coach was who gave him that talk:
“It was actually coach [Missouri defensive line coach Craig] Kuligowski from my freshman year. We had to play Colorado and I got three sacks in that game, and after that he kind of told me that I have a gift and I’ll be good at it.”
On what he would tell 49ers fans he would bring to the team right away:
“I’ll bring some sacks, some energy to my athletic side. I still got a lot more. The sky’s the limit for me and I’m going to work hard to reach it, so I guess you could just take that.”
On whether he hopes he can step in and have a big role right away seeing that the 49ers 2010 rookies had a big impact last season:
“It does. I’m going to go in there and learn from the rookies that were there last year and I’m going to see the tools that they used. They had success and I’m going to use the same tools and hopefully I have the same success they had.”
On what the deciding factor was in his decision to enter the draft after his sophomore year, especially after the leg injury he had last year:
“The leg injury, it was; after I healed up from the leg injury I was back to moving normal. Before I got hurt, I was on pace to do some good things and I felt like once I’m healthy, I’ll be 100 percent and I’ll be fine and I’ll be able to make some plays and make some things happen. So that and just me feeling like it was time for me to come out is the reason I chose to come out.”
On whether he is 100% healthy now:
“I’m 100 percent now. I’m all good, I’m all great.”
On where the gift of being a pass rusher comes from:
“I think it’s just natural, I really don’t know. I just started football and it was something I was good at.”
On how he felt the rest of last season because of his leg injury and how it affected him:
“I actually came back and it was still broken. It was tough playing with it, but I love my teammates, I love the game and nothing is going to stop me from playing. If I could go out there enough, if I could walk a little bit, then I’ll be able to play a game on it.”
On whether playing through pain and playing somewhat injured helped him in the draft process:
“I think it let people know that I had heart and that I love the game and that I’m not a wimp, that I’m a tough guy.”
On how much he followed the ongoing lockout and labor situation in the NFL and how it concerned him:
“I followed it a little bit, but I definitely wasn’t paying too much attention to it because I can’t control it. It is what it is and wherever it goes I’m sure it’s going to get dealt with soon and I’m excited.”
On when he hurt his leg last year and when he came back from injury:
“I hurt my leg in the third game of the season versus San Diego State. I missed three games and I played the rest of the games after that. I came back the Oklahoma game, which was week six, and I played the rest of the games after that.”
On whether the 49ers told him what position he might be playing, either the strong side or weak side linebacker:
“I’m not sure yet, I haven’t really been told too much about that. Wherever I’m at I’m going to learn it and I’m going to do it.”
On whether he was on the strong side as a defensive end in college:
“In college, yes.”
On whether he will be coming out to the San Francisco 49ers tomorrow:
“I might be coming out tomorrow. I’m not sure, I don’t know yet.”
On who his agent is:
“Tom Condon.”
On what he knows about the 49ers defense and what he was able to pick up during his visit:
“I learned a lot. [DT] Justin Smith plays there, [LB] Patrick Willis plays there and I know a lot about, I learned a lot when I was there. When I was there we actually watched a little bit of film. We didn’t watch too much film of the 49ers, we watched some of my film.”
On how well he can hold the edge compared to his pass rushing, and whether it is a challenge for him:
“I wouldn’t say it’s a major challenge and I think I won’t have a problem holding the edge. They didn’t run that much in the Big 12, but when they did, I was able to stop the run.”
On whether there is a current NFL player he compares himself to:
“I want to be like [Bears DE] Julius Peppers. I watch him a lot and I like [Packers LB] Clay Matthews. I like how he plays the game. Those two players I would definitely say.”
On what will be the hardest transition for him from the college game to the pro game:
“Mainly just learning the game. Probably that’s about it.”
On whether he did any dropping back into coverage at Missouri:
“Some of the packages that I had I was dropping back, but it wasn’t something that I did a lot.”
On whether he has a favorite sack:
“My favorite sack? I sacked [former Texas QB] Colt McCoy my freshman year when we played Texas. That was probably one of my favorite sacks.”
On how much he weighs right now:
“263.”
