As Alex Smith noted last week, the 49ers got him plenty of presents this offseason.

The question: How well can Smith play with his new toys?

The 49ers have added plenty of outside speed in Randy Moss, Mario Manningham and A.J. Jenkins, causing some to wonder if Smith is equipped to consistently get the ball downfield to his trio of speedsters.

Smith isn’t known for possessing a Howitzer – Colin Kaepernick and Josh Johnson both throw more powerful and picturesque deep balls. Still, Smith isn’t exactly noodle-armed (Exhibit A: His 14-yard rocket to Vernon Davis to beat the Saints in the divisional playoffs).

Smith didn’t throw many deep passes in 2011 – he averaged 2.8 throws of 20 or more yards per game, including the playoffs – but he was effective when he did take shots downfield.

According to Pro Football Focus, Smith had a 111.4 rating on throws that traveled 20 or more yards last year, a marked improvement from his 47.5 rating in 2010. Per PFF, Smith’s rating on such throws in 2011 topped those of Drew Brees (107.3), Eli Manning (103.2) and Tom Brady (87.7).

Now, I wouldn’t suggest Smith was a better deep passer than that trio based on a higher passer rating. For starters, in the 49ers’ buttoned-up, run-heavy attack, Smith benefited from the element of surprise when he went deep.

In addition, passer rating is an imperfect statistic. Brees, for example, had a lower passer rating than Smith thanks to his six interceptions on deep throws, but his less-risk-averse style netted him a touchdown on every 4.3 deep passes (Smith averaged a TD every 8.5 passes).

I’d take Brees’ numbers over Smith’s, regardless of the rating.

Still, the issue isn’t whether Smith is the equal of Brees, Manning or Brady when it comes to flinging it downfield. It’s whether he’s capable of connecting with his new offensive weapons on routes beyond curls, quick outs or bubble screens.

The numbers below, which compare Smith against the NFL’s top quarterbacks, suggest he’s better equipped to go deep than many might think:

THROWS OF 20-PLUS YARDS IN 2011 (includes playoff games)

(From Pro Football Focus)

AARON RODGERS, Packers (16 games): 129.1 QB rating

33 of 66, 1,264 yards, 14 TD, 1 INT

MATT SCHAUB, Texans (10 games): 125.3

14 of 37, 499 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT

TONY ROMO, Cowboys (16 games): 123.8

32 of 61, 1,166 yards, 13 TD, 2 INT

ALEX SMITH, 49ers (18 games): 111.4

21 of 51, 723 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT

Note: In 2010, Smith completed 9 of 36 passes for 316 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions on throws of 20-plus yards (47.5 rating).

MATTHEW STAFFORD, Lions (17 games): 107.8

34 of 83, 1,187, 12 TD, 4 INT

DREW BREES, Saints (18 games): 107.3

44 of 86, 1,187 yards, 20 TD, 6 INT

ELI MANNING, Giants (20 games): 103.2

49 of 123, 1,675 yards, 15 TD, 7 INT

CAM NEWTON, Panthers (16 games): 92.6

33 of 89, 1,149 yards, 7 TD, 4 INT

PHILIP RIVERS, Chargers (16 games): 91.4

28 of 75 935 yards, 12 TD, 6 INT

TOM BRADY, Patriots (19 games): 87.7

23 of 73, 746 yards, 10 TD, 4 INT

JOE FLACCO, Ravens (18 games): 81.8

25 of 88, 816 yards, 8 TD, 3 INT

BEN ROETHLISBERGER, Steelers (16 games): 77.5

24 of 75, 818 yards, 7 TD, 5 INT

MICHAEL VICK, Eagles (13 games): 77.2

24 of 58, 769 yards, 3 TD, 4 INT

JAY CUTLER, Bears (10 games): 77.0

14 of 37, 425 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT

MATT RYAN, Falcons (17 games): 69.3

16 of 63, 518 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT