San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the 5 best player additions for 2018
By Peter Panacy
No. 5: EDGE Jeremiah Attaochu
Team Need: 5
Projected Role: 3
Traditional Stats: 2
Analytical Stats: 3
Potential Impact: 2
The 49ers need an outside pass rush after finishing 2017 tied at 26th in sack production with just 30 quarterback takedowns. Unfortunately, both the free-agent and NFL Draft markets were pretty thin, leaving John Lynch few options.
San Francisco 49ers
One of those was to grab former Los Angeles Chargers EDGE Jeremiah Attaochu in free agency — a player whose career had largely been derailed by injury and, later on, stashed aside by the emergence of Pro Bowlers Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram.
Attaochu has just 10 sacks over his four-year career, so the traditional numbers don’t rank high on our list. And unless Attaochu somehow winds up flourishing in a new defensive system with a fresh supporting cast, it’s hard to project his potential impact being substantial. Low grades there too.
Yet Pro Football Focus did award Attaochu a 77.0 overall grade back in 2015, and he came close to that last year with a 69.0 mark.
These aren’t great numbers, but they lend to the notion Attaochu can rediscover the pass-rushing prowess he displayed at the collegiate level.
He’ll get his fair share of chances off the edge in 2018, meaning his room for impact is good enough. Let’s just hope he thrives in this role.