With the seventh overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected Oregon DE DeForest Buckner, a player that the majority of mock drafts had the team selecting.
During his last two seasons with the Ducks, Buckner had 164 tackles, 30 for a loss, with 14.5 sacks. He had 232 career college tackles and 18 sacks for Oregon, per sports-reference.com. He is reunited with Chip Kelly, now the head coach of the 49ers and who happens to be the man that recruited him to Oregon before leaving for the NFL. He will help bookend a defensive line that includes last year's top selection Arik Armstead, also from Oregon.
49ers Select DeForest Buckner with No. 7 Pick
For an in-depth look at Buckner, check out why Pro Football Focus has been obsessed with the newest 49ers rookie.
"I'm probably the happiest guy in the draft right now" -- #49ers top pick @DeForestBuckner
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) April 29, 2016
Analysis
Lance Zierlein of NFL Media, who compares Buckner to Calais Campbell, had the following to say in his scouting report:
Headed into this season, Buckner was a traits prospect who flashed with quickness, strength and overall athleticism, but he put those traits together in 2015. Buckner has the body type of a classic 3-4 defensive end who can control the point of attack with length and power, but he has above average pass rush potential for that position which figures to push him into the early stages of round one. Buckner has similar power to former teammate Arik Armstead, but is a much better pass rusher and has a chance to become a dominant force in the NFL.
DraftInsider.net had the following to say about Buckner in their scouting report:
Buckner was highly rated coming into the season then met expectations in 2015. He's displayed consistent progress on the field and is a three down defender that can lineup at end in a three-man front or tackle in a four-man line.
Optimum Scouting had the following to say about Buckner in their scouting report:
What makes Buckner a potential cornerstone is that he has the stamina to play a lot of snaps and his game is relatively low variance. It is fair to assume Buckner is going to physically beat his opponent more times than not, and that he is going to be more of a crashing run defender than an explosive presence behind the line of scrimmage. His freakish size gives him a lot of power to work with, even if his leverage can be a detriment at times. Buckner does not have the burst or lateral agility to do much work as a one-gap disruptor, especially as a 3-technique. Buckner is more of a power rusher that slowly collapses the pockets through constant hand fighting and leg drive. Buckner is good at what he does, but what he does is so limited and, honestly, a dying necessity. He is going to be outstanding at his job, but his defensive coordinator will need to build the scheme around him or accept that he is going to do more supplementing than creating.
Pro Football Focus had the following to say about Buckner in their scouting report:
Buckner's two-year production is tough to ignore. He can be a playmaker in the run game and as a pass rusher, most likely in a 3-4 scheme, but he can move around the formation to provide some versatility.
Measurables
Height: 6-7
Weight: 291 lbs.
Arm length: 34 3/8 inches
Hand length: 11 3/4 inches
NFL Scouting Combine
40-time: 5.05 seconds
Vertical: 32 inches
Broad jump: 116 inches
3-cone drill: 7.51 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.47 seconds
Pro Day
Bench: 21 reps of 225 pounds