The San Francisco 49ers invested their 2015 first round pick in defensive lineman Arik Armstead, and by season's end, he finished with 375 snaps. On the one hand, he did some solid work in his limited snaps as a rotation lineman. On the other hand, you look for your first round pick to be more involved, and providing a greater impact each game.
Our friends at Daily Norseman put together a table of snap counts for the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Armstead finished sixth from the bottom among rookies who did not miss the whole season. Among the players below him, Trae Waynes was unable to really work his way into the starting lineup, and Shane Ray was a seemingly rotational players. Cedric Ogbuehi was on the NFI list much of the year, and Shaq Thompson dealt with his share of injuries, particularly early in the season.
Armstead faces a huge year in 2016. Quinton Dial will be in the starting lineup, but beyond that, it's hard to say anything for certain. Ideally we see Armstead work his way into more than just a rotational role. I think that second year of snap counts will be where the really value lies.
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