San Francisco 49ers: The Defensive & Offensive Lines Will Define Team’s Success in 2016
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers spent considerable effort upgrading and reinforcing their offensive and defensive lines this offseason. These efforts will go a long way in determining whether or not the Niners 2016 NFL campaign will be a successful one.
“It all starts up front,” or so the saying goes about success at the NFL level.
Such is the case with the San Francisco 49ers as they gear up for their 2016 campaign under new head coach Chip Kelly.
The line of scrimmage was particularly problematic a year ago under former head coach Jim Tomsula. There were more than a few reasons why the Niners struggled within the trenches. Numerous players — defensive end Justin Smith, left guard Mike Iupati and right tackle Anthony Davis — departed in advance of 2015 for one reason or another.
And the 49ers were hard pressed to find adequate replacements capable of filling such lofty voids.
This only tells a part of the story though. While personnel problems were a big factor, the glaring problems with Tomsula and his staff’s scheme also led to issues.
So it shouldn’t be much of a surprise the Niners suffered nearly everywhere else on the field last season.
To recap, Pro Football Focus ranked San Francisco’s offensive line No. 27 overall a year ago — 14th in pass-blocking efficiency and a lowly 30th in run-blocking prowess.
The right side of the O-line was especially problematic, as Week 1 starting linemen Erik Pears (minus-30.7 overall) and Jordan Devey (minus-16.1 overall) combined for a total of 13 sacks allowed and 55 quarterback hurries, per PFF (subscription required).
And it didn’t help then-starting center Marcus Martin — filling in for a still-injured Daniel Kilgore — posted a whopping minus-45.6 overall grade, per PFF, either.
The defensive line was a little better. Despite losing veteran defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey to a midseason knee injury, this unit managed to get adequate-to-good production out of guys like Arik Armstead, Quinton Dial and Ian Williams.
Williams ended up with a plus-24.4 overall PFF grade on the year, which ranked highest among all 49ers defenders. Armstead was second with a plus-15.1 overall mark.
Still, San Francisco’s D-line ranked 27th against the run and 29th against the pass, according to Football Outsiders last year.
Needless to say, changes needed to be made.
“You win football games in the trenches and you’ve got to have big, strong, tough, durable, versatile guys in there,” said Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn, via LuckyNewspaper.com.
49ers general manager Trent Baalke must have been feeling the same way.
He tabbed former Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner and former Stanford run-mauling guard Joshua Garnett in Round 1 of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Buckner — who was heralded as a far-superior prospect than his former Duck teammate, Armstead — is the second in back-to-back first-overall picks Baalke made to address the D-line. It’s clear the Niners expect Buckner to be a pocket-wrecking force in the mold of retired DE Smith.
Paired with Armstead, the 49ers now have two formidable forces to impose their will on opposing offensive lines.
“You couldn’t focus on either one of us because you had either me or him on the other side,” Armstead said of his impact with Buckner at Oregon, via 49ers.com (h/t Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News) earlier this offseason. “We have big plans playing together, trying to dominate people.”
But will it work?
As Chris Biderman of USA Today’s Niners Wire pointed out, a key area where Buckner, Armstead and the D-line will have to produce is in sub packages — an area in which the 49ers defense was particularly vulnerable a year ago:
"Clearly having Williams play in sub wasn’t enough. It’s going to be up to the younger defensive linemen, Armstead and Buckner, to stop the run if the 49ers are going to compete in 2016. The Eagles finished last in time of possession in all three seasons under Chip Kelly while he ran his no-huddle, up-tempo offense.The book on beating a Kelly-led team is to control the tempo by wearing his defense out with the run."
If they don’t, well, it is going to be a long season.
What about the flip side? How will San Francisco’s reinvigorated O-line improve over what happened a year ago?
The 49ers let veteran guard Alex Boone walk via free agency and parted ways with Devey as well. In addition to Garnett, as well as rookie tackles John Theus and Fahn Cooper, Baalke signed free-agent guard Zane Beadles to take over Boone’s role.
Beadles, a 2012 Pro Bowler, is probably a bit of a downgrade from Boone. And his recent efforts with the Jacksonville Jaguars in recent years don’t exactly suggest a good fit here.
But Beadles will be moving back to a zone-blocking scheme under Kelly — something in which PFF’s Jeff Deeney feels will be beneficial to Beadles’ efforts in San Francisco:
Zane Beadles best year was 2012 when he ranked 16th of 81 guards with a +17.1 grade. Has had most success in zone-blocking scheme....
— Jeff Deeney (@PFF_Jeff) March 17, 2016
Keep in mind the Niners’ lowly run-blocking efforts a year ago. Both Beadles and Garnett are known for their abilities in run support, so it makes sense for the 49ers to add guys like these to reinforce what was an area of weakness in 2015.
And even though many associate Kelly’s offense as an uptempo, pass-happy scheme, his approach will suggest much more of a run-first mentality.
Still, there is a glaring concern at right tackle. Pears started with the first-team unit during OTAs and minicamp, largely due to second-year pro — and many fans’ choice to be the starter — Trent Brown’s inability to be physically conditioned enough for the start of these sessions.
Brown may not be the ideal fit for an inside-zone approach either, as Niner Noise’s Rich Madrid suggested.
While Garnett will likely be a plug-and-play starter at right guard, his rookie growing pains will be a factor. Pair this element with the incumbent uncertainty at right tackle, and this side of the O-line may be nearly as problematic this season.
Perhaps Kelly’s scheme goes a long way in masking some of the O-line deficiencies along the right side. Maybe Brown, Theus or Cooper wind up turning heads in training camp.
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Heck, maybe Pears has a bounce-back season. He’s in a contract year and likely playing for his final NFL deal at 34 years old.
Anything is possible, right?
Regardless what happens here, the 49ers’ efforts this past offseason will need to produce the results at the line of scrimmage. It’s hard to fault Baalke for wanting to shore up these areas — he did — but the only hope is for these moves to pan out.
If not, 2016 may wind up being a very tough year for San Francisco.
Next: Breaking Down 49ers Defensive Line in 2016
All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.