Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh spoke with the media before Wednesday's practice and discussed defensive lineman DeForest Buckner.
Buckner is entering his third NFL season and second working with Saleh. He tends to dominate practices to the point where it seems unfair to the players who are trying to block him.
"You can't block him! You can't block him!" tackle Joe Staley yelled from the sideline during the 49ers' exhibition game against the Dallas Cowboys. "His name is DeForest Buckner! You can't block him!"
When it comes to pass rush productivity, Buckner is elite. He ranked second among interior defenders last year when it comes to total pressures (52), according to Pro Football Focus, and no interior defender forced more hurries than Buckner's 19.
Consistent double teams have limited Buckner's production when it comes to tallying sacks. That's why Saleh and the 49ers have experimented with Buckner on the edge.
"He's our best player," Saleh said when asked if he was the 49ers' best interior defender and best edge rusher. "So it's the challenge for us as coaches to find a way to get him one-on-ones in as many ways as possible, wherever that puts him. If it puts him at nose, puts him at three, puts him at end, it doesn't matter. We've got to find a way to get him in a one-on-one situation because he's hard to block."
The 49ers defense managed just 30 combined sacks last season, which ranked 26th in the league. Buckner is honored the 49ers see him as a player capable of making a difference at multiple spots.
"It's a confidence booster that they can see that I'm able to rush on the edge," Buckner said earlier this month. "I did it a little bit (during) my rookie year, and it's kind of fun being able to be back out there."
Buckner getting work along the edge of the defensive front won't necessarily be a regular occurrence this season. He will only see time there in specific packages.
"When you have a guy like Buck who, in my opinion, is one of the better inside guys in this entire league, I think to make a living outside is not what you want to do," Saleh said. "But to sprinkle him out there every once in a while just to try to find matchups will be good for him.
"The interior of our D-line is a strength. We feel really good about the interior of our D-line and our edge guys. They're coming along. (Cassius) Marsh showed up last year, did some things. (Jeremiah) Attaochu is looking for an opportunity. You still have guys fighting too. You still have Eli (Harold), you still got Pita (Taumoepenu), you still have Dekoda Watson. They're still going through it, too.
"There's a lot of work to be done in the next two weeks, and I'm really excited to see how it plays out."
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