49ers' Smith will step right in

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers are ready to see what Alex Smith can do.

The NFL's top draft pick will be the 49ers' starting quarterback in their preseason opener against the Oakland Raiders, coach Mike Nolan said Wednesday. Smith earned the honor with his impressive work in training camp, where he has practiced with the 49ers' first-team offense since the opening workouts.

Smith took the news with the same poise he's shown against every challenge in the last year, when he went from relative obscurity at Utah to the top of the draft class with one spectacular college season.

He'll soon find out whether he can keep that cool with Warren Sapp and Charles Woodson chasing him at Candlestick Park on Saturday.

"This is a big opportunity, but it's still just a preseason game, and I have to treat it that way," Smith said. "The atmosphere will be nice. It will be realistic. It's one more thing for me to learn."

Smith will take about 25 snaps before giving way to Tim Rattay, who started nine games last season while battling several injuries during his only campaign as San Francisco's No. 1 quarterback. Ken Dorsey, who started seven games last season, will play the remainder of the exhibition.

Smith has been solid in camp, making crisp throws and eagerly soaking up the 49ers' new West Coast offense. He signed a contract with San Francisco four days before the start of training camp, avoiding any chance of a holdout that could limit his schooling.

So Nolan saw no reason to change the player rotation established early in camp.

"It's certainly a welcome to the NFL," Nolan said. "I want to see how he operates under the pressure. It's a rivalry . . . and I want to see how he responds to that. We're looking for someone to take that position, and he's got a chance."

Nolan repeatedly has said he hoped Smith would win the starting job for many reasons, including the 49ers' financial commitment to the 21-year-old passer. Though Smith will start against Oakland, Nolan said the competition with Rattay and Dorsey isn't over.

"I've just got to keep going out there and get better," said Rattay, Jeff Garcia's backup for three seasons before becoming the starter last year. "I feel good about the way I've been practicing. I understood it was going to be a competitive situation, and I love to compete."