Stats & Eggs: Could Takk McKinley help Arik Armstead?

For once this year, the 49ers made news about their roster that didn’t involve a player getting injured or going on the COVID-19 list - and boy did it feel good. Not that Takk McKinley is going to suddenly revitalize a 49ers pass run that’s been rendered toothless by the heartless monster that is 2020, but he may help in one key area going forward.

No area of the 49ers team was hurt more by injuries this year than the edge pass rush. Bosa and Ford’s absences left a massive hole in the defense that couldn’t really be filled by the players currently on the roster. Specifically, it’s caused Arik Armstead to have to rush the passer primarily from the outside, which is where he’s least effective.

With the addition of Takk McKinley on the outside, Robert Saleh may be able to let Armstead rush the passer from the interior of the defense, which is where most of his career-high sack total from 2019 came from.

Of course all of this assumes Takk will be able to pass his physical, which is probably not a given considering he failed to that last week with Cincinnati.

You can hear more about the McKinley addition and how Kyle Shanahan was defending Arik Armstead’s down year on KNBR yesterday by listening to the Stats & Eggs podcast. It will catch you up on everything you need to know in about five minutes. Take a listen, tell a friend. You can find it on this page or wherever you get your podcasts.