San Francisco 49ers: 2016 NFL Draft Recap & Analysis

49ers Best Pick: DeForest Buckner

The best player the 49ers drafted is Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner, with no doubt in my mind. One of the top-10 players in the entire draft, Buckner has experience working with both Chip Kelly and fellow DE Arik Armstead and will shore up the 49ers’ pass rush, which put together the fifth-fewest sacks in the NFL last season. His greater benefit, however, is to the 49ers’ run defense

Buckner has produced in each of the last two seasons at Oregon. Last season, Buckner recorded 76 tackles and 9.5 sacks and was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. The year before, he had 13 tackles for a loss in his first year as a full-time starter.

Pro Football Focus called him not only the best interior defender in the entire draft, but also the best specifically at sealing up the backside of runs, preventing cutbacks and generally serving as a nuisance in the run game. His power allows him to move blockers out of the way, taking them head-on and clogging up lanes, sort of like retired defensive end Justin Smith did when he was a 49er–that’s who the 49ers are trying to replace with this pick.

Looking at him, the first thing that jumps out to you is just his pure size. Buckner is a humongous human being — 6’7″, 291 pounds, 35-inch arms and 12-inch hands.

Buckner towers over your average defensive end; he has three inches and ten pounds on your average NFL starter. That’s mostly a positive, though it does mean that he has trouble getting his pads low, which some craftier offensive tackles can take advantage of. Overall, though, he’s a monster–with Buckner and Armstead on opposite sides of the ball, and nose tackle Ian Williams in the middle, the 49ers suddenly have a defensive line to be reckoned with.

Buckner’s footwork and hands are quick and smooth for someone of his size; he can move laterally well and get around blockers when need be. It’s not enough to single-team him; he’ll probably demand double teams or, at the very least, someone to chip him to keep him from just destroying the opposition on the way to the backfield.

That should open up room for pass-rushing linebackers Aaron Lynch, Ahmad Brooks or Eli Harold to rush behind him, as opponents’ offensive lines will have their hands full stopping Buckner. It’s a similar dynamic to the one Smith and former 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith had back when the 49ers were good.

Buckner isn’t Justin Smith, though–he’s Calais Campbell, to keep things within the division. Campbell is one of the NFL’s best linemen, strong against both the run and the pass.

That’s Buckner’s best comparison; a massive force in the run game with plus-level potential in the pass rush. Buckner probably won’t be recording double-digit sacks as a rookie; he still has some development to do as a rusher. But grouped with his old head coach, the sky’s the limit for Buckner.

He is the most talented prospect the 49ers have drafted since Aldon Smith, without the off-field issues surrounding him. I really believe you’ll see Buckner in the Pro Bowl soon, and I would not at all be surprised to hear his name being mentioned as one of the best at his position within a few years.

Assuming nothing goes wrong with his development, Buckner will be a dominant force in the NFL.

Next: Worst Pick