San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle DeForest Buckner had a team-leading 12 quarterbacks sacks last year. No other defender had six or more. The 49ers worked hard this offseason to bolster the pass rush, which tied for No. 22 in the NFL in getting to opposing quarterbacks.
General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan didn't just add one elite pass rusher to the defensive front. They brought in two. The team traded for Dee Ford in March and then used the No. 2 overall draft pick on Nick Bosa in April.
Ford racked up a career-high 13 sacks last season. Pro Football Focus graded him as the league's best edge defender in 2018, and his 19 quarterback hits ranked fifth in the NFL among all defenders. Bosa recorded 17.5 sacks in just over two seasons with Ohio State and was considered by most to be the best pass rusher — and even the best overall player — among this year's rookie class.
Buckner led 49ers defenders in sacks last season. Will that be the case this year? That's what we asked fans via a poll on Twitter.
Buckner, cause the guys gunna be coming off the edge forcing the qb to step up in the pocket and guess who he gunna run into #99 @DeForestBuckner
— Johnny A (@JohnnyA20714149) June 25, 2019
While Buckner received 37 percent of the votes, it wasn't enough to rank No. 1. Ford earned 48 percent of the fan votes for the top spot while Bosa came in third with 14 percent. The option of "Other" received one percent of the votes.
Who will lead the #49ers in QB sacks this season?
— 49ers Webzone (@49erswebzone) June 25, 2019