Film Room: Chris Borland finding success despite size

Look at Chris Borland’s stance. He squats low to the ground, his rear out far. His elbows touch the top of his ribs when he extends his arms halfway down his thighs. His head sits directly on his shoulders. This is what scouts didn’t like about him.

Look at Borland’s stance closer, though. His feet are wide and his knees are straight. Both create a firm base. His chest isn’t too far out, his pads are low and his head is up. He’s balanced. He’s cocked back like a shotgun. This is what scouts missed about him.

Back when Borland was at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he told a childhood story about playing tackle football with his older brother. It went like this: His older brother, 16, ran with the ball in hand and had a red carpet laid out to the end zone for the game-winning score. Instead of running straight, he turned to his younger brother, Chris, 10, and tried to shove him into the snow. When he dipped his shoulder to run Chris over, Chris got on his knees and undercut his brother and flipped him over onto his face. 

Ever since then, Borland’s relied on technique, instincts and aggressiveness to overcome his 5-foot-11, 248-pound frame. Despite a great college career, he was considered too short by NFL standards, evidenced by his slip to the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft, where he was selected by the San Francisco 49ers at pick No. 77.

Now he’s one of their starting inside linebackers. It happened when All-Pro Patrick Willis suffered a season-ending toe injury midway through the year, which bumped Borland to the top of the depth chart. He’s started the last four games, against notable quarterbacks Eli Manning and Drew Brees, and, per Pro Football Focus, played 87 percent of the defensive snaps. He’s made an immediate impact in run defense, where he's blown up blocking schemes and hammered running backs.

On one play against the New York Giants in Week 11, he was at inside linebacker five yards from the line of scrimmage, when a power run was called and the left guard blocked inside, leaving a tunnel for the back-side right guard to pull into.

When both guards took their first step, Borland read run and rocketed. He beelined through the gap and into the backfield, past the right guard, who pulled too wide, narrowed his shoulders and dove at the ball-carrier’s knees to wrap him up three yards deep in the backfield.

This is what he does best and what his college film showed, too. Scouts were too caught up in his measurements, though, and forgot he was the 2013 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

He recognizes plays in an instant and is quick downhill, where he pops offensive tackles with heavy hands and slips off like slime. When a ball-carrier’s in sight, he wraps up and almost always brings them down. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s missed one tackle in his four starts.

In coverage for the 49ers, he’s sometimes in man-to-man on a running back, who he chases out to the flat or on a quick route over the middle. Other times, he’s in a short zone underneath with robber or hook responsibility. He’s good at both because he’s aggressive, but on play action, it’s troublesome.

Against the New Orleans Saints in Week 10, it was third-and-1 and a running back faked a carry and jetted off to the defense's right, where Borland's eyes flowed like a heart monitor. He was out of position.

Brees kept the ball, rolled right and looked to a tight end, who came from the back-side to run a flat route. Borland took one narrow stride forward and … slowed … as he fell behind. With a second stride to turn outside, his hips tightened. The tight end caught the ball and hustled 13 yards to breathe new life into the offense.

It’s no surprise when Borland is out of place. He's inexperienced. He’s a rookie who will make mistakes but also learn from them with every snap, tackle and coverage. He's shown improvement in every game.

Here’s an example from the same game against the Saints. On first-and-10, Borland switched alignments with a fellow inside linebacker and then followed a running back. The running back shifted behind a tight end. It was a stack set. As Borland followed, he told the near cornerback to alter his alignment. The cornerback took a couple steps up, moved over the tight end, while Borland went behind him. They were now at different depths and avoided a possible pick.

Then the running back ran a six-yard shallow crossing route and Borland followed again. He ran two or three yards out and behind to not run himself out of the play. When the running back caught the ball, Borland’s angle paid off as he chased him down a couple lateral steps after he caught it.

Small adjustments like depth are what catches one’s attention on film. Borland routinely does this, and it’s notable that he has in this defense.

The 49ers feature multiple fronts in run defense. They also pattern match in coverage, which requires Borland to sift through weapons as they come and go when he’s in zone coverage. He shuffles his feet and is aware of where the ball is, which has helped him deflect five passes and nab two interceptions. He isn’t overwhelmed, although there are times when he watches just the ball. That’s all part of learning on the job, a job some scouts said he couldn’t do.