San Francisco 49ers: Progress-report grades for each position a quarter through 2017
By Peter Panacy
Defensive Line
Losing veteran defensive tackle Tank Carradine to an ankle injury hurt, although it did open up the door for rookie first-round draft pick Solomon Thomas to see an increased role.
Related Story: Projecting 49ers' D-line roles after Tank Carradine injury
Thomas, the No. 3 overall pick, is off to a decent start, picking up his first sack in Week 4 and posting a respectable 73.1 overall Pro Football Focus grade.
But the biggest force along San Francisco’s defensive line has been, without question, second-year pro DeForest Buckner.
Buckner’s 93.2 overall PFF grade actually ranks tops among all interior defenders this season, which is a pretty hefty achievement, considering he’s in the same category as the Houston Texans’ J.J. Watt and the Rams’ Aaron Donald:
Four weeks into the season, PFF's top graded interior lineman is DeForest Buckner with an overall grade of 93.2. #49ers
— Jeff Deeney (@PFF_Jeff) October 3, 2017
What the 49ers Are Doing Well
It’s certainly hard to say anything bad about Buckner. While the sack totals haven’t piled up, the former first-round pick is proving he’s a pocket-wrecking force capable of wreaking havoc along opponents’ offensive lines.
This has allowed his supporting cast to make plays as well, largely limiting teams’ abilities to effectively move the ball with ease.
Especially on the ground.
Remember that previous stat about the Niners giving up 3.3 yards per rushing attempt? A lot of the credit goes to the defensive line.
Same with the average of 4.9 yards per play, which ranks sixth in the NFL through four weeks.
San Francisco’s D-line remains its primary strength.
What Needs Improvement
The 49ers entered Week 4 with just three sacks on the season. Six more in Week 4 certainly helped this stat line, but the nine combined now have the Niners a lowly 20th in the NFL — not exactly the production expected after San Francisco invested so much capital in this group.
No wonder Football Outsiders ranked the Niners D-line 31st in the NFL in the pass rush prior to Week 4.
Granted, sacks aren’t everything. The 49ers defense is vastly superior to what fans saw in 2016. But it’s pretty clear San Francisco lacks a true pass-rusher of a good-to-elite level. EDGE Elvis Dumervil might be the closest thing to this, but he’s 33 years old and best used situationally.
Fellow edge rushers Arik Armstead and Aaron Lynch have been good, not great.
With some time, and paired with Thomas’ development, this unit could still develop into something elite for San Francisco.