SF 49ers: 4 pass-rushers who must perform better with Nick Bosa out

No. 2: SF 49ers Defensive Tackle Arik Armstead

The 49ers decided to go with defensive tackle Arik Armstead instead of DeForest Buckner during the offseason, re-signing the former to a five-year, $85 million deal worth $17 million, annually.

Yes, Armstead, not Nick Bosa, led the Niners with 10 sacks last year. But there’s an argument to be made that was a one-year explosion, not necessarily the sign of things to come. Armstead, after all, never had more than three sacks in a single season leading up to 2019. And some made the argument his success came as a direct result of San Francisco boasting more-effective pass-rushers elsewhere along its defensive line.

Perhaps. But whatever the doubts, Armstead will have to earn that contract from this point onward.

Armstead now finds himself the most experienced and most versatile member of the D-line, capable of playing both at defensive end and on the inside at defensive tackle. This will be extremely valuable, considering the loss of Bosa means a void on the outside, while the loss of Solomon Thomas opens up a void within the interior.

This projects towards Armstead seeing an awfully high number of snaps throughout the rest of the season, and he’ll need to put up the production expected from being a key contributor here.