San Francisco 49ers: 5 potential breakout players in 2017
By Adam Trovato
No. 3: Arik Armstead
Until training camp begins, we cannot know exactly where defensive end Arik Armstead is going to be lining up in 2017.
But with a clear lack of pass-rushers on the roster, expect Armstead to get many looks at the LEO position. At 6-foot-7 and nearly 300 pounds, Armstead is slightly bigger than the typical LEO. While this can deter some, I expect Saleh to salivate at the thought of Armstead coming off the edge in one on ones.
Check out Armstead’s explosiveness as he blows by the Bills interior defensive line in this clip below:
Although Armstead’s production appears limited on paper, in 2016 — according to PFF — he boasted an NFL-best 11.2 pass-rush productivity rating.
That number comes from 21 hurries and three sacks in 168 pass-rush snaps. The same analysis on Armstead indicates his 62 total QB pressures in his first 24 games as a part-timer on defense would have led the league in 2016. In these 24 games, he played 77 fewer total pass-rush snaps than former Arizona Cardinals DE Calais Campbell, who led the league with 56 total pressures.
With the explosiveness and size that made Armstead the 49ers’ first selection in the 2015 draft, coming off the edge in 2017 can prompt breakthrough results. Anticipate Armstead finishing the season with sacks somewhere in the seven-to-10 range, while consistently pressuring the opposing quarterback.