San Francisco 49ers: Arik Armstead Set for Edge-Rushing Role

Even with a need at edge rusher, the San Francisco 49ers lightly addressed the need by selecting just one in the 2017 NFL Draft in Utah defensive end Pita Taumoepenu. The reasoning for this? John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan believe they already have one — Arik Armstead.

Among the many roster needs the 49ers had was one at edge rusher, dubbed the “LEO” position in the 4-3 defensive scheme San Francisco will be running next season.

It is usually reserved for the team’s best pass-rusher, making it an integral component to the scheme’s success. Typically, the LEO is a smaller (in NFL terms), more agile defensive lineman as their primary task is being a stand-up pass-rusher.

So when the 49ers selected Stanford’s Solomon Thomas, initial questions centered around defensive end Arik Armstead.

San Francisco 49ers

What did the selection of Thomas, who plays a similar position to Armstead, mean for the University of Oregon product? Was he to be the odd man out? It was confusing to see them draft a player at a position they had covered.

Then, when San Francisco round-after-round neglected to focus on LEO until the end of the draft, it was even more confusing. Two players at the same position, no real solution to the lack of a true pass-rusher.

I was left wondering, just what are the 49ers doing?

Well, the new regime had a plan in place. Here’s what Lynch had to say following the draft about Armstead (h/t Niner Wire’s Chris Biderman):

"We’re going to let him cut loose. We think when this guy starts going that way, that it can be pretty special. Now, it’s up to him to go do it. But, we believe that he has that versatility Kyle (Shanahan) talks about about being inside in pass rush situations, outside. You can move all over and I’m excited to see the product, particularly with all the different combinations we can put out there now."

The 49ers weren’t drafting another player at Armstead’s position because he doesn’t play there anymore — San Francisco now views him as their LEO. Thomas is expected to fill in at the left defensive end spot next to DeForest Buckner, who will be playing left defensive tackle.

It’s a bit surprising, as Armstead played all of last season an interior pass-rusher in the 49ers 3-4 and the genetic makeup of most LEOs.

Take newly drafted defensive end, and LEO candidate, Pita Taumoepenu for an example.

Taumoepenu stands 6-feet-1-inch and weighs 243 pounds — Armstead is 6-foot-7 and is 292 pounds.

Switching from the interior to the edge will be an opportunity for Armstead to showcase his true pass-rushing ability, as well as measuring his athleticism against offensive tackles. It’ll also be a test of Armstead’s true ability, as the third-year pass defensive lineman is apparently fully healthy for the first time since high school, via Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee:

"Armstead said he’s dealt with a torn labrum for years and that his left shoulder would routinely pop out of joint. That happened in last year’s training camp and throughout the early part of the season. He went on injured reserve following the 49ers’ Nov. 6 loss to the New Orleans Saints and had surgery shortly thereafter.“There comes a time when you’re trying to play through an injury, but your shoulder keeps popping out in the middle of a game,” Armstead said. “It’s like, ‘What are you going to do?’ You’ve got to fix it.”"

With that fixed, it’ll be interesting to watch how Armstead performs. Alongside Armstead, Aaron Lynch is the other 49er being viewed as a prime candidate for LEO, given his previous experience as a pass-rusher.

But Lynch is in the final year of his contract and coming off a season in which he served a suspension, making this season an important for him. Ronald Blair, Eli Harold and Ahmad Brooks are the other 49ers we may see at LEO.

Next: Quarterback C.J. Beathard a Polarizing, Intriguing 49ers Pick in the NFL Draft

San Francisco heads into this new season with a revamped defense. Can they improve on their historically awful performance from last year?

With their six defensive draft picks, the 49ers sure hope so.