Niner Noise
FanSided

5 players 49ers cannot afford to lose this season

By Akshaj Dwivedula

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 31: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers throws a pass Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 31: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers throws a pass Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – OCTOBER 01: Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner #99 of the San Francisco 49ers hits quarterback Carson Palmer #3 of the Arizona Cardinals during the second half of the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on October 1, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – OCTOBER 01: Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner #99 of the San Francisco 49ers hits quarterback Carson Palmer #3 of the Arizona Cardinals during the second half of the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on October 1, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /

No. 3: DeForest Buckner

That honor would belong to this player right here. There are few words to describe how valuable DeForest Buckner is to the 49ers. He’s the lifeline of the defensive line and is easily the best player on that side.

Buckner ranked sixth among interior defensive linemen, according to Pro Football Focus. He had 52 pressures and was the force behind the pass rush. When Buckner left the field, the 49ers went from 11th to last in the league in pressure rate.

But the main reason Buckner is so important is that he rarely left the field. He played almost 80 percent of the defensive snaps this year. To lose Buckner is to create a giant hole on the defensive line.

Well then, why isn’t Buckner higher?

The reason is that Buckner’s hole can be filled a little better than the next two players on this list. The 49ers have a bevy of defensive linemen who could help fill the large void. Arik Armstead, Solomon Thomas, and Sheldon Day, to name a few, are talented, if not productive, interior linemen who could help fill the gap. They wouldn’t be able to completely replace Buckner’s production, but they could do it better than the backups for this next player.