The most obvious takeaway from the San Francisco 49ers’ 23-10 Week 1 preseason loss to the Houston Texans is Former Rugby League star Jarryd Hayne can play football. He had the longest run of the game—a 53-yard gain in the second quarter.
Hayne doesn’t run with a low pad level, but he doesn’t need to in the 49ers’ zone-blocking scheme. Stretch zone runs typically go to the outside, meaning Hayne doesn’t have to get low to fit though tiny holes in the middle of the offensive line.
Hayne seems to have what it takes to be an effective zone runner—he bounces off of tackles and is surprisingly quick.