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San Francisco 49ers: Who is defensive end DeForest Buckner?

By Peter Panacy

December 11, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end DeForest Buckner (99) sacks New York Jets quarterback Bryce Petty (9) during the third quarter at Levi's Stadium. The Jets defeated the 49ers 23-17 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
December 11, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end DeForest Buckner (99) sacks New York Jets quarterback Bryce Petty (9) during the third quarter at Levi's Stadium. The Jets defeated the 49ers 23-17 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Niner Noise’s annual “Who Is?” series on 2017 San Francisco 49ers players takes a look at defensive end DeForest Buckner and how he fits in with this season’s plans.

San Francisco 49ers defensive end DeForest Buckner was only one of a handful of bright spots for an otherwise dismal season for the red and gold in 2016.

The No. 7 overall pick from the NFL Draft that year emerged as one of the team’s better defenders over the course of the regular season and will be a cornerstone piece moving forward.

And he’s part of an ever-growing defensive line too.

San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

The previous year, the Niners added former University of Oregon teammate Arik Armstead and, most recently, selected former Stanford DE Solomon Thomas at No. 3 overall in this year’s draft.

That makes three first-round draftees comprising San Francisco’s D-line entering 2017.

There are some changes. First, Buckner and Co. will be switching to a 4-3 base scheme. Buckner likely occupies the right defensive tackle spot or 3-technique position. Offseason free-agent pickup Earl Mitchell occupies the nose, and San Francisco’s right defensive end — or LEO — will be to Buckner’s right.

Buckner, whom Pro Football Focus ranked as the No. 3 rookie interior lineman last year, will look to continue his growth and development in year two.

So what can we expect this season amid a changing defense?

Why He’ll Improve

Buckner already had an impressive rookie season, notching 43 tackles and a team-leading six sacks in 2016.

All the while, Buckner played an astounding 93 percent of snaps last year, per PFF’s Jeff Deeney.

This kind of wear and tear might be of concern if Buckner was older and/or more injury prone. Yet it doesn’t take much to see how much bigger Buckner is entering his second campaign.

Just take a look at this photo, courtesy of KNBR 680’s Kevin Jones:

Mitchell’s run-stopping abilities should take some pressure off Buckner this season. And the same goes when paired with Thomas up front in nickel packages.

A year ago, it wouldn’t be uncommon to see teams scheme against Buckner. It isn’t as if the Niners had bona fide playmakers surrounding him. But that changes in 2017, especially if Thomas lives up to his Round 1 draft hype.

Teams will be forced to “pick their poison” defending either two defensive linemen. All this should open up more opportunities for Buckner to make plays at the point of attack and create some notable penetration from the interior.

Why He’ll Regress

There aren’t too many reasons to think why Buckner would go through some sort of regression in 2017.

The best players typically make huge leaps in progress from rookie to second-year seasons, and this is what we should likely expect.

If there is any sort of letdown, it likely comes from the switch to a 4-3 under scheme from defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein noted Buckner was a better fit for a 3-4 scheme in his pre-2016 NFL Draft profile. So maybe that’s a small concern.

The only other way would be if Buckner’s bad habits from last year — playing too high and not generating enough leverage to square up to blockers — return after disappearing midway through last year.

Yet these don’t seem to be anything but moderate concerns right now.

What to Expect in 2017

San Francisco’s D-line figures to be one of the team’s best strengths heading into this season.

Buckner won’t have to “do it all” up front and can rely upon both Thomas and Mitchell to take a sizable chunk of the workload.

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While it wouldn’t be a shock to see Buckner get close to double-digit sacks in 2017, the real beneficiary may wind up being Armstead, who could end up being the team’s LEO this season. Armstead’s biggest strength is his pass rush. Letting Buckner eat up a blocker or two could free up Armstead to make plays within the backfield.

Look for this tandem to be a factor this season. If it works, the Niners pass rush may be the most prolific it has been since the days of former defenders Justin Smith and Aldon Smith.

Next: 49ers' personnel fits in Robert Saleh's 4-3 defense

And the 49ers hope this is exactly what transpires this year.