It didn't take long for Antoine Bethea and Eric Reid to make a lasting impression on their first-year defensive coordinator.
From the very start of the offseason program, Jim O'Neil has been enamored with the first-team safeties. The defensive coordinator explained why during his first 49ers press conference last week.
"I’ve been really impressed with the safety group," O'Neil said at the midway point of nine OTA sessions this spring. "Bethea and Eric Reid are very, very smart football players and with this being the fourth time I’ve been a part of an organization installing this system, those guys are further ahead than any other safety group that I’ve been a part of so far.