49ers’ 2018 ‘Who Is?’ series: Defensive tackle Sheldon Day
By Peter Panacy
Niner Noise’s 2018 “Who Is?” series on San Francisco 49ers players looks at a defensive pickup from last year, defensive tackle Sheldon Day, and his projected impact and role this season.
In a way, the San Francisco 49ers benefited from the Jacksonville Jaguars having a deep and talented defensive line in 2017.
The Jags’ deep crop of front-four defenders meant 2016 NFL Draft fourth-round pick, defensive tackle Sheldon Day, was an excess commodity. Jacksonville waived him late in the year, and the Niners pounced.
Day quickly made his presence known in San Francisco, rotating within the defensive line and logging 12 tackles and a sack, including a strong performance against his old team in Week 16.
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Day has become something of a forgotten commodity among a talented yet still developing defensive line, boasting former first-round draft picks Solomon Thomas, DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead.
Despite being just a rotational member, Day earned a respectable 75.0 overall grade in 2017, per Pro Football Focus.
Will that kind of effort carry over to Day being a regular member of the D-line in 2018 now?
Let’s take a look.
Why Sheldon Day Improves in 2018
Day will turn 24 years old this offseason, meaning he’s still young and developing.
He showed a bit more prowess against the run last season, meaning he’ll likely see more snaps in short-yardage situations when San Francisco’s starters are getting a bit of a rest.
But if Day can hone his interior pass-rush moves, that should be a major boost to his role this season.
It’s something NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein talked about in Day’s 2016 draft profile:
"Day makes up for his undersized frame with quick hands, impressive lateral movement and effort level that is rarely matched. There will be teams who scratch him off their draft board due to size and scheme concerns, but his ability to rush the passer from the interior will be sought out by others who recognize his potential value."
Why He Regresses
As Zierlein pointed out, Day’s size makes him a bit of a tweener. At 6-foot-1 and 294 pounds, Day is a bit too heavy to play off the edge in a regular outside pass-rushing role. He’ll make his money at either a 3-Technique or big-end role, but even this could be problematic against stronger, bigger interior blockers.
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Plus, there’s the comparison between the Jaguars and 49ers’ defensive scheme. It’s essentially the same — a 4-3 Under, with as many as eight defenders in the box.
Day was OK in his role his rookie season, but one has to wonder a bit about why the Jaguars released him in the first place.
Even rotational players have value, and Day apparently couldn’t cut it with Jacksonville. Is it possible other depth 49ers defenders push him out of a similar role in San Francisco?
What to Expect with the 49ers in 2018
Day’s chances to make the 53-man roster this season look pretty good. As the Super Bowl-defending Philadelphia Eagles can tell you, having a solid D-line rotation is just about as important as having star players on the roster.
Expect the Niners to rotate their defenders up front a lot more this season, giving Day a more prominent role in 2018.
Considering his youth and solid impact in a similar role last year, it wouldn’t be a shock to see San Francisco ask a bit more of Day this season.
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If so, he could wind up being a solid role player and making nice contributions throughout the year.