San Francisco 49ers: 5 biggest cornerstone players heading into 2018
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Defensive Tackle DeForest Buckner
San Francisco 49ers
Alas, a holdover from the Trent Baalke era.
In fairness, it would have been hard for Baalke to balk this pick. Second-year defensive tackle DeForest Buckner has proven to be a true anchor of the defensive line this season. Earlier in 2017, Pro Football Focus had him ranked as a top-five interior defender. And while his overall grade (89.0) has waned a bit since this ranking, there’s little doubt the kind of importance Buckner has for the 49ers defense overall.
Sure, Buckner has only three sacks on the season, and it doesn’t look like he’ll reach his rookie total of 6.5 from a year ago.
But that doesn’t mean he’s not effective rushing the passer. And if San Francisco had a quality edge rusher, Buckner’s sack totals would jump dramatically.
Note to John Lynch: grab a quality edge pass-rusher this offseason.
What makes Buckner valuable is his ability to lock up multiple blockers each and every snap. Teams know better than to leave him isolated in one-on-one matchups. This opens up the door for other San Francisco defenders.
With another influx of talent and, hopefully, a strong second year from 2017’s first-round selection, Solomon Thomas, the 49ers defensive line could reach its full potential next year.
That makes Buckner a building block. A big one.