Predicting 49ers defensive starting lineup before 2020 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers underwent a handful of notable defensive changes already in 2020. With the NFL Draft just around the corner, Niner Noise predicts the defense’s starters for this upcoming season.
It was going to be tough for the San Francisco 49ers to proverbially “keep the gang” together in the wake of last February’s Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Cap constraints and long-term financial flexibility ultimately forced general manager John Lynch to make some notable changes, the biggest of course being the pre-free agency trade of 2018 Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts.
The Niners received the No. 13 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft in exchange, which will help alleviate the loss somewhat.
But there’s no mistaking the fact Buckner’s absence along a still-elite San Francisco defensive line will be felt this season and potentially beyond.
Yet trading Buckner freed up enough cap space to re-sign two of the team’s other big-name pending free agents, defensive end Arik Armstead and safety Jimmie Ward, who’ll look to back up their career-best 2019 campaigns with yet more stellar years in seasons to come.
That said, there are a number of question marks to be answered on the defensive side of the ball, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see Lynch use at least one of his two first-round NFL Draft picks to find some defensive help.
But where?
In order to understand how San Francisco can make some upgrades this offseason, it’s important to project what a starting lineup would look like right now for the 49ers, if the season were to start right away.
As such, Niner Noise offers up some early predictions for the defensive starters in 2020.