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San Francisco 49ers: DEs DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead Already Highlighting Niners Defense

By Peter Panacy

Aug 4, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (91) and defensive end DeForest Buckner (99) walk out for training at SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 4, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (91) and defensive end DeForest Buckner (99) walk out for training at SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports /
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The San Francisco 49ers made it a point this offseason to reinforce the defensive line. And they did so by adding rookie defensive end DeForest Buckner along with second-year DE Arik Armstead. This tandem is paving the way for an up-and-coming Niners defense.

Not much is expected out of the San Francisco 49ers in 2016. And yet the team has the right building blocks in place on the defensive side of the ball.

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    • If football games are truly won or lost in the trenches, and defense wins championships, going with back-to-back first-round draft picks focusing on the defensive line is the right method of approach for a rebuilding Niners team.

    We are, of course, speaking on defensive ends DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead.

    Former collegiate teammates at the University of Oregon, Buckner and Armstead are bookending a San Francisco defensive line quickly becoming one of the mainstays of the franchise.

    With all due respect to perennial All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman, Armstead and Buckner may soon be the most important players on the Niners defense.

    Winning up front, remember?

    And with one week of NFL action in the books, we can already gauge the type of impact these two will have in this, and coming seasons.

    Arik Armstead’s Growth

    Armstead might not have been the 49ers’ most popular draft pick back in 2015 when general manager Trent Baalke selected him No. 17 overall.

    Aug 10, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (91) during training camp at Kezar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
    Aug 10, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (91) during training camp at Kezar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports /

    And he was limited in his rookie season, but ended up posting a plus-15.1 overall grade, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), last year. That mark was second highest on the defense, only behind nose tackle Ian Williams.

    Clips like these further reminded us why the 6-foot-7 standout could be something special:

    Here we are in year two of Armstead’s development. He already has one sack under his belt in 2016 and three in his young NFL career — not bad, considering he had just four over three seasons at UofO.

    DeForest Buckner’s Prowess

    PFF also wasn’t shy about touting Buckner’s potential leading up to the 2016 NFL Draft.

    Here’s what PFF’s Sam Monson had to say last April:

    "There may not be a player in the 2016 draft that PFF has loved more than DeForest Buckner (and if there is, it’s Joey Bosa). Buckner has been one of the most disruptive forces in the nation as a defensive lineman for the Oregon Ducks and has improved in each campaign."

    Buckner was regarded as an even more potent prospect than Armstead when he came out. And Buckner’s pass-rushing ability was far superior to his predecessor’s numbers were at Oregon.

    Sep 1, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; 49ers defensive end DeForest Buckner (99) looks on before the game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
    Sep 1, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; 49ers defensive end DeForest Buckner (99) looks on before the game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

    The efforts are translating over to the pro game as well. Just watch the following clip from Week 1 versus the Los Angeles Rams:

    And yet Buckner may be asked to do more than just rush the opposing quarterback.

    What makes the Niners’ No. 7 overall pick so special is his ability to disrupt the pocket. This is also something Armstead does well too.

    Already Making an Impact

    Both Buckner and Armstead significantly impacted the 49ers defense against the Rams in Week 1 — an effort which led to San Francisco’s 28-0 shutout victory.

    Granted, the Rams offense and offensive lines aren’t very good. But to have these players rank No. 1 and No. 2 out of qualifying pass-rushing defensive ends, per PFF, is no slouch.

    We should hearken back to the days of defensive ends Justin Smith and Ray McDonald (legal troubles aside). Both of those guys were equally capable of disrupting the pocket, which made the 49ers pass-rushers’ jobs much easier not long ago.

    This afforded San Francisco the luxury of dropping players back in coverage and not risking secondary exposure, due to blitzing additional help.

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    And when the Niners defensive front was at an elite level, the 49ers’ entire defense was pretty darn good too.

    This might be the case again. Soon.

    So look for both Buckner and Armstead to be key figureheads for San Francisco on this side of the ball. The rest of the defense will benefit because of it.

    Next: Expect a Breakout Year from 49ers OLB Tank Carradine

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