Do you remember all of the hype entering the season surrounding the San Francisco 49ers defensive line, a unit that boasted five former first-round draft picks? It's been a while since anyone has brought that up. Much of that is because the 49ers pass rush took a step back late in the season. Some of that can be credited to the absence of Dee Ford.
Ford was back on Saturday, and the highly-touted defensive line was at full strength against the Minnesota Vikings and got to quarterback Kirk Cousins six times during the 27-10 win in the Divisional Round playoff game. That sack total is tied for the second-most during a postseason game in franchise history.
ESPN pointed out after the game that each of those former first-round picks, which include DeForest Buckner, Dee Ford, Arik Armstead, Solomon Thomas, and Nick Bosa, had at least one sack in the game. Each of those defensive linemen had one sack, except for Bosa, who had two.
Bosa is the first 49ers rookie to earn two-or-more sacks in a playoff game since Dana Stubblefield did so in 1994 and is just one of three players in franchise history to do so (Michael Carter, two sacks vs. Chicago in 1985).
The game marked the first time in NFL history that five first-round picks had at least one sack in a playoff game, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
The #49ers are the first team in NFL history to have five first-round picks with at least one sack in a playoff game, per @espn and @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/4ULSm07Ucq
— 49ers Webzone (@49erswebzone) January 12, 2020
NFL statistics initially didn't officially credit Thomas with a sack, but later made the correction.
It was a dominant performance by a group made up of high draft picks, and now, they hold a place in the NFL record books and helped push the 49ers into the NFC Championship Game.