DeForest Buckner has become a force not just for the San Francisco 49ers but for the rest of the league. All through the offseason we’ve seen him on lists of greatness and predictions he’s going to command a lot of money for his next contract extension (something the 49ers are probably prepared for given their salary cap numbers).
Well, add another accolade: Buckner is on NFL.com’s All-Under-25 list. Basically the requirements for this list are simple: Be under the age of 25 when the season begins. That means players like Ezekiel Elliott, Joey Bosa, and Tyreek Hill qualify. That’s good company to be in. There’s others that may be a bit of a beneficiary due to age (Jared Goff can be argued), but given the limited picks in the list, Buckner has shown he belongs. Here’s what Elliot Harrison, the analyst who posted the list, had to say about Buckner:
Buckner is part of a young 49ers nucleus that will make waves in the NFC West as early as 2018. Buckner has more than held his own, with 61 tackles last season as an interior lineman. The sack numbers should grow.
This isn’t the only under-25 list Buckner has been on. Fooch mentioned last month of Buckner making CBS Sports and Pro Football Focus’ own versions of the same team. So it only makes sense that Buckner gets a triple crowns and makes the NFL.com team as well.
Sacks have been the big thing the 49ers pass rush has needed. Buckner has been getting to the quarterback just a bit too late in the 2017 season which hurt his sack totals. Now that the 49ers defense has had some time to gel, perhaps the pass rush can finally break out and get some numbers.
Having Solomon Thomas not playing out of position definitely won’t hurt either....