Niner Noise’s annual “Who Is?” series on San Francisco 49ers players in 2017 continues. And in this episode, we look at the newly acquired EDGE Elvis Dumervil and how he might impact the Niners defense.
The San Francisco 49ers added some veteran presence on Monday by signing former Baltimore Ravens edge rusher Elvis Dumervil to a two-year contract.
Dumervil, 33 years old, started off his career with the Denver Broncos as a fourth-round pick back in 2006. And he was even a teammate of now-Niners general manager John Lynch.
Undoubtedly, this connection was a reason why Dumervil picked San Francisco over his other options after being released by the Baltimore Ravens last March.
The 6-foot-0, 255-pound edge rusher currently sits on 99 sacks and has the chance to immediately take over the 49ers’ primary pass-rushing duties.
| Game | Game | Def | Fumb | Fumb | Fumb | Fumb | Fumb | Sack | Sack | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | PD | FF | Fmb | FR | Yds | TD | Sk | Tkl |
| 2006 | 22 | DEN | 92 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 8.5 | 14 | |
| 2007 | 23 | DEN | DE | 92 | 16 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12.5 | 34 |
| 2008 | 24 | DEN | DE | 92 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 17 | |
| 2009*+ | 25 | DEN | de/LB | 92 | 16 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17.0 | 42 |
| 2011* | 27 | DEN | DE | 92 | 14 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.5 | 31 |
| 2012* | 28 | DEN | DE | 92 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 | 32 |
| 2013 | 29 | BAL | lb | 58 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.5 | 18 |
| 2014*+ | 30 | BAL | lb | 58 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17.0 | 29 |
| 2015* | 31 | BAL | LB | 58 | 16 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 29 |
| 2016 | 32 | BAL | lb | 58 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 9 | |
| Care | Care | 146 | 99 | 16 | 23 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 99.0 | 255 | |||
| 6 yr | 6 yr | DEN | 91 | 75 | 11 | 16 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 63.5 | 170 | ||
| 4 yr | 4 yr | BAL | 55 | 24 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 35.5 | 85 |
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/5/2017.
Sure, the five-time Pro Bowler has seen his production drop off since his prime, especially due to injury, but the Niners could surely benefit from his presence.
So what should expect out of him this season?
Why He’ll Improve
At this point in his career, it’s hard to see Dumervil being a true linchpin in San Francisco’s developing defense. So that means finding the right fits and opportunities for him.
The Ravens primarily ran a 3-4 base scheme in 2016, although the 49ers 4-3 under is built to incorporate 3-4-type players. Dumervil’s size fits this role, and the Niners would be wise to place him off the edge at LEO.
Related Story: 49ers sign EDGE Elvis Dumervil
Assuming he can stay healthy, there’s a good chance he winds up being a key pressure guy in San Francisco’s defense.
Just ask Pro Football Focus’ Jeff Deeney:
Prior to an injury-plauged 2016, Elvis Dumervil racked up 60+ QB pressures in each of his previous four seasons (2012-2015). #49ers
— Jeff Deeney (@PFF_Jeff) June 5, 2017
Anything in the range of six to nine sacks this season would be a major boon to a Niners defense that posted just 33 quarterback takedowns in 2016 and didn’t have a player with more than six sacks total.
Even if Dumervil isn’t posting sacks, quarterback pressures would be a helpful stat to keep watching.
Why He’ll Regress
The key factors to watch here are age and injury.
Dumervil is nowhere close to the high level of productiveness seen earlier in his career.
He isn’t a long-term fixture either. As of now, the Niners have two other LEO candidates with which Dumervil will compete this offseason — Aaron Lynch and Arik Armstead. Lynch is the prototypical best fit, but he’s coming off a lackluster 2016 and has weight concerns. And Armstead isn’t exactly built for the position.
So saying Dumervil is immediately the team’s best edge rusher isn’t exactly an indication the 49ers are vastly improved here.
He might offer some different looks and provide key depth to a front-seven unit. But it’s a long shot to expect anything close to the numbers from his Pro Bowl years.
What to Expect in 2017
The Niners likely wind up keeping Dumervil on their 53-man roster this upcoming season, barring injury or a horrendous training camp. He is a pure pass-rusher, and the 49ers lack those in a major way.
Yet San Francisco will probably end up using him as a situational pass-rusher, probably in nickel formations. Armstead may rotate in on these passing downs along the interior of the defensive line, while Lynch holds the edge on running downs.
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This should be a benefit for Dumervil though, as it would keep him fresh and limit the chances of a serious injury.
But the biggest benefit might be in mentoring a primarily young defensive front and one going through major transitions.
Next: 10 best defensive linemen in 49ers history
As things stand now, Pro Bowl-caliber players are a rarity on San Francisco’s roster. So even that alone brings some prowess to the Niners defense.