San Francisco 49ers: 10 Pros Who Could Lose Jobs to 2016 NFL Draft Prospects
By Peter Panacy
Nose Tackle Ian Williams
Not long ago, one would have thought it asinine to assume a rookie prospect could push nose tackle Ian Williams out the door. After all, Williams finished 2015 as the 49ers’ top-graded defender, according to Pro Football Focus — a plus-24.4 overall mark.
Top that with his initial long-term contract extension, and Williams looked to be a long-term fixture along San Francisco’s defensive line.
Well, Williams’ ankle injury and subsequent failed physical forced the Niners to rework his contract to a one-year extension. And his status for the Week 1 opener remains in doubt.
His long-term fit does as well.
Keep in mind, 2015 was Williams’ first fully healthy season in which he appeared in all 16 regular-season games. He’s injury prone. And that’s not a good thing while the 49ers defense tries to offset head coach Chip Kelly’s uptempo offense.
We know defensive end Arik Armstead is here to stay for a long time. And defensive tackle Quinton Dial, who signed an extension as well, isn’t going anywhere either.
So what if the 49ers target even more players to reinforce the D-line?
Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner has been a favorite on many 49ers mocks, including some on Niner Noise, and it’s impossible to overlook the Oregon-Kelly connection. Oh, and Buckner is Armstead’s former teammate.
With the former Ducks book-ending the D-line, and Dial moving back into the middle, Williams could feasibly be left out.
How things can change oh so quickly.
Next: Colin Kaepernick