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San Francisco 49ers: 5 Second-Year Players to Watch in Training Camp

By Peter Panacy

August 23, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (69) rushes Dallas Cowboys tackle John Wetzel (61) during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
August 23, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (69) rushes Dallas Cowboys tackle John Wetzel (61) during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aug 15, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Arik Armstead (69) in action against the Houston Texans in a preseason NFL football game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 15, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Arik Armstead (69) in action against the Houston Texans in a preseason NFL football game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /

Defensive End Arik Armstead

Second-year defensive end Arik Armstead may not have been a popular first-round choice for the 49ers in 2015. Yet his rookie efforts, especially towards the tail end, revealed San Francisco had a pocket-wrecking talent capable of locking up multiple opponents’ offensive linemen.

His 6’7″, 296-pound frame is enough to raise eyebrows. And he showcased plenty of the raw power fans were hoping for.

What makes Armstead even more interesting to watch this season will be how the 49ers utilize him alongside former University of Oregon and fellow Niners first-round pick DeForest Buckner.

Buckner, also 6’7″, is widely viewed as being an even better prospect than his NFL Draft Round 1 predecessor. Should Buckner’s development continue on track with what scouts will be hoping for, there is little doubt San Francisco’s defensive line will have two tremendous bookends.

Armstead is certainly excited about replicating this again at the pro level:

It’s possible Buckner doesn’t receive first-team reps during camp. But that won’t last forever, and Armstead figures to be a mainstay of the Niners D-line to start the season.

Watching him in camp will help determine how effective San Francisco’s defensive front will be over the course of the regular season. Should Armstead and Buckner be teamed up together in camp, fans will get a glimpse on how this unit will be able to clamp down on opposing offensive lines, which will go a long way in freeing up the Niners’ budding crop of pass-rushers.

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Armstead should benefit from Buckner, and vice versa. And it’s likely the 49ers’ other D-linemen — Quinton Dial, Ian Williams and rookie Ronald Blair — will be beneficiaries of the two former Ducks’ presence along the line.

San Francisco’s offseason camps will showcase this potential in greater detail, and fans are likely viewing this as the best area of improvement for a Niner team in need of vast improvements this season.

Next: Early Projections for 49ers 2016 Rookie Class

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.