San Francisco 49ers: Breaking Down Depth Chart at Defensive Line

The San Francisco 49ers drafted Oregon’s DeForest Buckner with their first pick in the recent NFL Draft. They also added Appalachian State defensive end Ronald Blair in the fifth-round. The current defensive line has the best depth on the team, but there are players coming off injuries who might need to be looking over their shoulder this off-season. Let’s take a closer look at the players who will be making up the line in 2016.

The San Francisco 49ers, under general manager Trent Baalke, have had a strong desire to stop the run and to get after the quarterback.  This plan was working swimmingly when the line boasted Justin Smith, Ray McDonald and Aldon Smith, and a healthy Glenn Dorsey and Ian Williams. However the first three guys are gone, and the latter two cannot stay healthy.

The Niners primary goal this off-season is to rebuild from inside-out, starting in the trenches. The roster currently has 13 players listed as being on the defensive line. The line, as it currently stands, has a nice mixture of youth and experience.

They cannot carry 13 guys onto the final roster. The line has 53-man roster certainties and several question marks, and others who are there to increase the competition but have no chance of making it to the end.

Niner Noise’s Nicholas McGee also agrees the defensive line is the strongest area of the team. The Niners now boast two of the biggest linemen in the Oregon pair of Buckner and Arik Armstead:

"Both Buckner and Armstead should be able to generate push from the defensive end positions and with their sheer size — Buckner is 6’7″ and 300 pounds and Armstead is 6’7″ and 292 pounds — have the frame to command plenty of double teams and open up gaps for other defenders to slip through."

Indeed, the addition of Buckner heavily strengthens both the run and pass defense, as John Kosko of Pro Football Focus notes:

"Buckner was the No. 2 player on PFF’s drat board, so landing him with the No. 7-overall pick is tremendous value. Buckner is disruptive against the run and rushing the passer, sporting a best-in-class +43.8 pass-rush grade and the eighth-best run defense grade at +29.1."

The key player the Niners need back healthy in 2016 is defensive tackle Williams. He had a superb 2015 season, ranking 18th out of 123 qualified interior defenders with a grade of plus-85.6 (from a zero to 100 scale) per Pro Football Focus.

However, after he had ankle surgery earlier this offseason, his availability to start in the regular season is currently in doubt. Even if his recovery takes longer than hoped, it is crucial he takes his time and he is 100 percent ready when he returns. There is enough quality around him for his recovery to be set to the proper timetable.

This is why they need him on the field:

The givens to make the final roster are Williams, Buckner, and Armstead.

So who else should be on the defensive line depth chart this season?

Glenn Dorsey

Dorsey is the most experienced lineman, going into his 10th season in the NFL. He doesn’t flash at you during games, but he is a steady performer who typically will get the job done.

Like Williams, he has been hit by the injury bug. He only played in 355 total snaps last season before tearing his ACL. He graded at a plus-63.3 (from a zero to 100 scale), where his best grade was on run defense (plus-70.5 on the same scale) per Pro Football Focus.

These are not earth-shattering numbers, but he does a good job in occupying blockers and freeing up others. His experience is also a major bonus, and he has become one of the mentors to Buckner. The tips and knowledge he can pass onto Buckner and the other young players is invaluable — it cannot be taught.

The Niners would be foolish to throw away what he brings to the table, both on and off-the-field.

He makes the final roster.

Quinton Dial

Dial is one of the most frustrating players on this team. One minute he looks great, and at other times he is invisible. Going into his fourth season, it is time for him to take the next step and become a dominant player.

In 2015 he did set career highs in games played (15), tackles (73) and sacks (2.5). He is on the improve. The team believes in him, as he recently signed a three-year contract extension. Also, he understands the play of the D-line needs to get better, and match what the previous players achieved, as he explained to Taylor Price of 49ers.com:

"We’ve got to uphold that standard because last year, that wasn’t upheld. That’s a thing of the past now, but it’s something to add fuel to the fire because everyone is counting us out now. That’s fine. I like to be the underdog. At the end of the day, the standard is what it is and you’ve got to uphold it."

Dial would have been a roster bubble candidate prior to the extension, but it seals his place on the final roster.

Tank Carradine

He would have been another roster bubble candidate, but management’s desire to move him to the outside linebacker position and turn him into a pass-rusher opens up the door for him. Though he is still technically listed as a defensive tackle on the current roster, he has lost around 15 pounds during the offseason so far in preparation to become a full-time pass-rusher.

Carradine can sack the QB, as he had 11.5 sacks in his final season at Florida State. But the Niners’ efforts in trying to turn him into a run blocker who can rush from the inside has been nothing short of a monumental failure. He was bordering on major second-round bust material.

The defense is bereft of quality pass-rushers. Excluding Aaron Lynch, and to a lesser extent Ahmad Brooks (when he decides to show up and play), the cupboard is basically bare. And no, there is no point in including Corey Lemonier here.

It is a good idea to make this attempt to find the right place for Carradine. If this move works, great. The pass rush will be improved. If not, cut your losses and move on. It would be a black eye, but them’s the breaks.

Depth players

With the extreme depth, there are no shortage of options here.

The key question is how many defensive linemen will the team carry for 2016.

Niner Noise’s Bryan Knowles believes fifth-round pick Blair, veteran Tony Jerod-Eddie and Mike Purcell will make the team. We are in agreement here. Blair brings much-needed versatility where he can play both inside and outside. In 2015, he won the Sun Belt Conference defensive player of the year award with 70 total tackles (19.0 for loss) and 7.5 sacks.

He also comes off blocks:

Jerod-Eddie provides depth if one of the starters goes down injured. He is far from special, but he knows the other players and he adapts well enough to the schemes. Purcell is an underrated player. He is a nice complement to Dorsey. In his 294 snaps in 2015, he graded a plus-72.1 (from a zero to 100 scale) in run defense, which was third best on the team, per Pro Football Focus.

Players likely to be cut

Demetrius Cherry

Darren Lake

Kaleb Ramsey

Garrison Smith

We have two rookies, a second year and a third year player on this list. There is just no room on the final roster for these players, and they are simply camp bodies to help improve the competition throughout camp.

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The Niners will be relying on their current starters, their key backups and the drafted players to come together and help improve the 18th-ranked team defense a year ago. Everyone gets a clean slate under new defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil.

Head coach Chip Kelly said the Niners “will get after the QB”. They most certainly need to. The team can ill-afford to repeat the measly 28 sack total from 2015. The run defense needs to improve.

Heck, everything on defense needs to improve!

A good defense starts from up front. This Niners D-line has the chance to lead. It has the quality, and the depth to do it. Let’s just hope our dream becomes a reality…

Next: San Francisco 49ers: 5 Players Poised to Break Out in 2016

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com, Sports-Reference.com and 49ers.com unless otherwise indicated.