Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: 2018 midterm report-card grades by position

By Peter Panacy

GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 28: Quarterback C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 28: Quarterback C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – OCTOBER 07: DeForest Buckner #99 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after a play against the Arizona Cardinals during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on October 7, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – OCTOBER 07: DeForest Buckner #99 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after a play against the Arizona Cardinals during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on October 7, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

B-. . . . DEFENSIVE LINE

Another apparent position of strength for San Francisco entering this season, the defensive line has been one of the few modest bright spots amid a bad defense in 2018.

Third-year defensive tackle DeForest Buckner remains a stud, already surpassing his three sacks in 2017 with 4.5 on the year. He’s the 49ers’ best defender right now. And while he’ll never live up to his first-round NFL Draft billing, defensive tackle Arik Armstead has quietly put together a solid campaign this season too, ranking third on the team with 29 tackles and boasting three sacks of his own.

San Francisco’s other first-round draft pick on the D-line, Solomon Thomas, may also never live up to his No. 3 overall billing. But in recent weeks, Robert Saleh has apparently come to the realization he’s best used on inside-rushing situations and not as a true EDGE.

The 49ers still don’t have a true pass-rusher off the outside, and avoiding this need during the 2018 offseason has come back to haunt the defense. Despite a relatively productive interior pass rush, the Niners still rank 25th in the league in sacks with just 16.

But hey, at least San Francisco is allowing just 4.0 yards per rush — eighth best in the NFL. So that’s a plus.