The 49ers Round 1 Investment for Defensive End DeForest Buckner Starting to Pay Off Nicely
2016 may be a forgettable year for the San Francisco 49ers, but rookie defensive end DeForest Buckner is quickly starting to emerge as one of the predominant players on the Niners roster.
The San Francisco 49ers might want to forget the 2016 ever happened, but rookie defensive end DeForest Buckner has been one of only a handful of bright spots for this scuffling franchise.
San Francisco’s first-year pro struggled a bit to start off the season. Buckner’s ability to stop the run wasn’t particularly great, and the Niners’ last-place run defense suffered as a result.
But the team’s first-overall selection from the 2016 NFL Draft has done more than just raise a few eyebrows down the stretch. He’s quickly emerging into one of the more dominating forces within the 49ers defense.
And it shouldn’t be much of a surprise Buckner was nominated for Pepsi Rookie of the Week, following his 10-tackle, two-sack performance against the New York Jets in Week 14.
Those two quarterback takedowns now push his rookie-year sack total to five, tied with linebacker Ahmad Brooks for most on the team.
#49ers DL DeForest Buckner sacks #Jets QB Bryce Petty for the second time. #NYJvsSF pic.twitter.com/E691vdbrJo
— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) December 11, 2016
“The more he plays the more he understands what we’re trying to get accomplished over there,” head coach Chip Kelly said, via the team’s website. “He plays with such great effort and such a great motor and just loves playing football.”
Buckner has played on 822 snaps, by far the highest out of any Niners front-seven defender.
And his growth is paying off.
Stats Don’t Lie
The No. 7 overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft was a no-brainer selection for San Francisco.
And while the 49ers also tabbed former Oregon teammate, defensive end Arik Armstead, in Round 1 the year before, Buckner’s ceiling is certainly higher.
His numbers, as pointed out by Niners Wire’s Rob Lowder, tell you all you need to know:
DeForest Buckner is everything #49ers hoped.
In 13 games: 839 snaps, 65 tackles, 5 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, 10 QB hits and 12 QB hurries.— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) December 12, 2016
Further credentials come from Pro Football Focus, who grade Buckner at a respectable 79.0 on the season — second only within the 49ers’ front-seven defense to linebacker Gerald Hodges.
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That spot puts him at No. 28 overall out of 122 interior defenders PFF ranks on the year so far.
While Buckner’s run defense still needs a bit of fine-tuning, there’s little doubting San Francisco made the right choice in picking him up.
And if his ascension continues, there’s little reason to doubt Buckner will be one of the pinnacle pieces around which the Niners build in coming seasons.
