Elvis Dumervil spent one season with the San Francisco 49ers. The team opted not to pick up his second-year option, and a few months later, Dumervil announced his retirement after 12 seasons in the NFL.
Dumervil got to know several of the 49ers' young defenders during that 2017 season. One of those players was then-second-year player DeForest Buckner, who managed just three sacks that year.
Buckner enjoyed a breakout season in 2018, bringing down opposing quarterbacks a career-high 12 times and becoming the first 49ers player since 2012 to have 10-or-more single-season sacks.
Dumervil joined the 49ers Insider Podcast this week and was asked about Buckner's leap from 2017 to 2018.
"When I was playing with him, he was always hitting the quarterback," Dumervil told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. "He was very disruptive. It's kind of like a system. Sometimes it's not always about the sacks. It's all about disruption and getting hits, and being effective. And I felt he was very effective.
"I think he went into the offseason and he really worked hard. He earned every single bit of it, and I think he put himself in a position to get a step closer (to opposing quarterbacks). The game slowed down for him, and I think he's going to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
"He's a great guy, a great teammate, and I'm not shocked that he had a breakout season. I still think the best is yet to come."
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The 49ers signed Dumervil to help create a pass rush and mentor the younger players, like Buckner, on the defense. He ended up leading the team with 6.5 sacks that season despite his limited playing time.
A dominant pass rusher remains one of the 49ers' top offseason needs. The team currently owns the No. 2 overall pick in April's draft and could use the selection to fill that need.
Former Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa is viewed as the top pass rusher in the draft and could go No. 1 overall to the Arizona Cardinals. Should the Cardinals decide to go in another direction, that would make the 49ers' decision at No. 2 an easy one.
"I think Bosa is a slam dunk," Dumervil said. "I don't know if he will be available or not (when the 49ers select at No. 2) but I think he has the pedigree [...] There's rumors that he may be better than [his brother, Joey Bosa of the Los Angeles Chargers], so time will tell. But I think he's a no-brainer if they can get him. I think if the Niners get him, they become a playoff-contention team."
Bosa joined KNBR during the week leading to the Super Bowl and was asked about possibly being selected by San Francisco.
"I would be lucky to get picked by them," Bosa said. "The roster, for a team that's picking No. 2, is a really stacked roster. They had the injury at quarterback that obviously allowed them to get this high in the draft so I think it would be cool, definitely, to go play for a team that is closer than most people think to being a contender."
Dumervil agrees with that assessment and feels injuries played a big part in the 49ers winning just 10 games over the past two seasons.
"I think they have the right nucleus," Dumervil continued. "For the draft order they're in, I think it's an advantage to the Niners because that's not a team that should be picking No. 2. That's a really talented team.
"Now they are able to take advantage of the situation and grab one of these top guys when they shouldn't even be at that slot. Now you add that to the factor, next year they should be pretty solid real fast."
You can listen to the entire conversation between Dumervil and Maiocco below.
[omny https://art19.com/shows/49ers-insider-podcast/episodes/5e211db2-3b54-4ebf-9800-a9643951bdd5]
