49ers draft DeForest Buckner

The San Francisco 49ers have drafted Oregon Defensive end DeForest Buckner with the seventh pick.

Buckner is one of the best pass-rushers in this draft. He will join former Oregon teammate and last year’s first-round pick, Arik Armstead, on the interior of the 49ers’ Nickel defensive line. Those two will become one of the premier interior pass-rushing tandems in the NFL.

But neither player is strong against the run at this time. It’s possible neither will play in the 49ers’ base defense next season. DeForest Buckner almost surely won’t.

GRADE: B. Buckner practically is a duplicate of Armstead, who looks like a future Pro Bowler. Buckner should be a future Pro Bowler as well. Clemson edge rusher Shaq Lawson probably would have been a better pick because he can rush the passer AND defend the run. Michigan State’s Jack Conklin probably would have been a better pick, too. But, Buckner is a solid selection.

This article has 129 Comments

    1. With respect to you Razor because you’re savvy guy, they both are projects. Buckner takes plays off and is not a three down guy yet. Number 1 picks, especially in the first round (with the possible exception of QBs) should be starters and not projects. Just saying.

      1. There’s parts of his game he’ll need to clean up, but the same can be said for everyone of the players taken before him, except for maybe Elliott and Bosa….

  1. Except Buckner is the superior football player and ideal bookend with Armstead.

    I’ll be honest, I picked Buckner on this thread a month ago, but didn’t figure he’s be on the board at 7. The Niners caught a break and only Grant would find a way to critisize this pick. Baalke and Kelly are thanking their lucky stars.

        1. Buckner superior talent to Conklin, Lawson. Rated top 5 on every board I’be seen.

    1. I agree. I have been on the Buckner bandwagon for a while and was getting mostly yawns from the posters here. This is a great pick. The D-line is set for al least 7 years now. Way to go Baalke.

      Now we need to address the O line. I am disappointed about the recent tweets from Davis indicating he is still angry at Baalke and may not be willing to come back. I was hoping to get AD back and draft Stanford’s Joshua Garnett in the 3rd round to fix up the OL.

      Let’s see how things go tomorrow.

  2. Armstead can now stick to LDT, where he is more comfortable. Buckner is the RDT. Both are fit, athletic guys, perfect for a Chip Kelly D. The 49ers pass rush just got a lot better. I’m a big believer in pressure up the middle.

  3. If the 49ers insisted on going defense first Floyd would have been the better choice.

      1. The Bears disagree with your honest opinion. Just for clarity sake, if you don’t actually state that it’s your ‘honest’ opinion should we assume you’re lying?

  4. I had Apple going before Hargreaves, didn’t see it quite this early though.

    1. The most important skill set when I look for a corner is if they can turn and locate the ball, and attack it at it’s highest point. Culliver couldn’t do it and I haven’t seen Apple do it either….

  5. Outside of getting one of the top QB’s or Ramsey, probably best, safest pick we could have made.

  6. I like the pick quite a bit. After Stanley went he was my next pick. I see the 9ers putting together a great pass rush and after watching Den this last season we all know what can happen when you can rush the passer. I hope they pick an OLB next possibly Spence or Correa from Boise. I’ve heard rumors that the 9ers might move back into the 1st Rd so don’t go to sleep yet.

    1. Don’t forget that Harold add bulk and Carradine shed some weight……. so, they may not press that position.

      1. Dlp,
        With Kelly’s style of O the more the merrier on D and I really like Marcus Rush but you can’t ever have too many guys who can get after the QB kinda like CB’s.

    2. OldCoach,
      Same here, I had Stanley with our first pick and Spence with my second. Buckner will be a very good player and possibly getting a starting nod in year two.

      I was looking for Trent to hit a grand slam = 4 players who could see substantial playing time in 2016.

    3. I agree. An edge guy would be a great compliment to the two big guys. Punish teams for double trying teams on Buckstead.

  7. Could we bring back tomshula to coach the D line since he’s still getting paid?

    1. If anyone can find him. I thought he was entered into the witness protection program….

    2. No. Azzinaro recruited Buckner to play at Oregon. He even watched Buckner play in his HS basketball game. I like Tomsula, but he is long gone.

  8. i like the pick. we need depth on the D-line. basketball guys are used to nonstop running….therefore they fit the Kelly system that requires a fit, deep defense. Bookends for the next 7-10 years. I think the’ll gain the muscle to help against the run ( they= Atmstead & Buckner). We had the ” smith boys” now we got the ” Oregon boys”.

    I wanted either Buckner or Conklin ( while we were on the clock and Ramsey was gone)….right before they announced I knew it would be Buckner ’cause I think they like Tiller at RT and AD is still in play even though he’s a head case that clearly dosent want to e here.

    1. T Brown should have chance to stay at RT and AD has to be trade bait at this point- albeit probably worthless unless he gets to choose his destination.

  9. I would love for Baalke to move up and get Jack now. Take a shot on Jaylen Smith with a 4th rounder.
    Add O-linemen, WR’s and pass rushers…..

  10. I say to heck with drafting a qb this year…..let it play out….if it hits the fan……then we go all In for one next year.

  11. Well my last mock had Buckner, but the next pick was Floyd so I will be off on that one.
    Sure am glad that Chip had a lot of input on this pick. I would even go so far to say that this was an Azzinaro pick.

  12. Jets take Lee. Unless there’s a trade-up by Browns-Cowboys its looking like Denver might draft their QB.

      1. Doctson. Lots of defensive talent getting pushed down the board. I’m thinking some pretty spiffy BPA will fall to 38.

  13. Twitter (for what its worth) is thinking Seattle could gamble on Jack. I’m thinking they take Chris Jones or O-line.

  14. Remember Oregon graduates later so like Armstead and LMJ, Buckner will be a late arrival.

  15. Ian Rapoport – “Titans, Cowboys are trying to come back into the first. Could be wild at the end.”

  16. Kaepernick versus Gabbert and may the best man win. If it’s Gabbert, Kaepernick probably should retire….

  17. Hogan day 3? Can you all see them hulkamaniacs with all the paraphernalia at 49er games?

  18. For those curious about how CK will do with Kelly, this has to be great news.

  19. Mike Klis (via Eric Branch) – “John Elway told 9news this ends Broncos pursuit of Colin Kaepernick”

    1. Called it. Joshua Garnett. Glad Baalke went bold and traded back into the first round. I am glad that the Seahawks did not get him.

      1. For what its worth, that’s well below chart. Should cost two high 4th picks, especially when you factor a first rounder has a 5th year option.

  20. Great first day of the draft. “Win The Middle” is still the mantra.

    I know exactly how I feel when we get the trade terms.

  21. I don’t get that pick.. Garnett would’ve made it to day two. Didn’t have to give up picks to get him.

    1. No, the Seahawks would have picked him. Garnett played against Buckner, and did well. He just called Buckner a monster, and was glad he does not have to block against him because they are now team mates.
      Garnett is an Outland Trophy winner, and was team captain. His father played for the Niners. Garnett is versatile and talented, and was a big reason why McCaffrey had such a good year.

  22. Fits Baalke’s pattern of having one “reach” pick for a targeted player in the first round or two. Now he’s going to let BPA fall to him.

  23. 4th and 6th plus the 2. I don’t think they had to do that, but they got their guy and that’s all that matters….

  24. Good pick, but could have been had in the second round.

  25. Well they are building from the inside out and that’s how you win in the NFL, hell that’s how you win in high school.

      1. It is considering how often he hardly makes the effort.

    1. Prime Time

      I disagree…if you want premium..you gotta’ pay premium….two in the hand…don’t look back

  26. I guess they felt that another team was going to take him and they wanted the ability to option him for the fifth year.

  27. Well it wasn’t defense but Garnett should be a fine guard for years to come. The reach doesn’t bother me, a little expensive but as Razor says they got there man. Wonder if they trade back into the second round.

  28. I am jumping for joy. Great 2 picks. Garnett was probably slated to go to the Seahawks, but the Niners stole him. Seahawks still could take Spriggs, but Garnett is a stud.
    Buckner allows the Niners to be able to rotate in the pass rushers, to keep them fresh.
    Niners just addressed their 2 biggest needs. Glad Chip got a lot of say with the first pick, and happy that Baalke went bold to move back into the first round. I think he hit 2 home runs with his picks.

    1. I don’t know. The Hawks could have taken Garnett if they were so high on him when they had their turn at 26. They obviously knew that they could lose him, and didn’t care as much as we think they did.

  29. Well no redshirts so far, that’s a win.
    Beastly defensive lineman that sTands like a redwood tree.
    Agile guard from the freeway that excels running and probably what they want in their new zone scheme.

  30. Was watching tape of Andrus Peat and kept think who is this guard. He was dominant and rarely got beat. picked him as the second pick but was surprised by te more up to get him. I guess that keeps him away from Seattle and the Panthers

  31. For this team the Buckner pick is a B-/C+ pick. He’ll ‘probably’ be an upgrade over the weakside defensive end that we currently use on passing downs. Where I grade the pick down is that I just don’t feel that that position on this team is worth using the #7 pick on. I would like to have seen the pick used on a player that was going to be on the field more. Outside linebacker or offensive line choices would have been better in the value versus selection department which is a heavily weighing factor when assigning draft grades.

    1. Seems like a lot of the top OLB’s are still on the board but we gave up our 2nd rounder. Hard to imagine we’ll find a difference maker at OLB after round 2. Maybe there’s another A Lynch out there in the draft?

      1. The pick should have been Tunsil. Best remaining player in draft, at a position of both current (TBrown is okay) and future need (Staley is 31), with higher impact than 3-4 DE. So he smoked some weed… Just like 80% of college attendees. Oh well.

        Would have been interesting to see what Dallas would have required to move up to 4 for Ramsay, who is the only guy as good or better than Tunsil.

        Still, the player is excellent, and should create an interesting pairing with Armstead.

        Our second pick was good, but was hoping for Jack. As much as I disagree with Baalke’s moves, he has done a B+ job so far

        1. The only thing with Tunsil is you have to wonder what else went undetected by the people who are paid to find stuff like this.

          1. Seems like somebody kept it under wraps and leaked it purposely to impact his draft position. Somebody should have known. I would have preferred him to Garnett.

Comments are closed.