The 49ers are 1-6, buried in the NFC West cellar and have dim prospects, thanks to a thin roster, dearth of playmakers and injuries.
Yet one player is living up to high expectations: defensive end DeForest Buckner.
The 49ers’ top pick in this spring’s draft is starting and playing very well almost halfway through his rookie season.
In Sunday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buckner played the most snaps of any defensive lineman. He was on the field for 73, or 97 percent of all snaps, and was in on six tackles.
In six games this season, Buckner has been in on 36 tackles, has two sacks and a fumble recovery.
Against the Bucs, he committed an unnecessary roughness penalty that helped keep a touchdown drive alive just before halftime. Afterward, he admitted he needs to better control himself. He pushed Bucs center Joe Hawley, after Jameis Winston already had completed a pass, drawing a flag. He indicated that he was baited into the action by Hawley’s play.
“I just lost my composure for a quick second,” Buckner told Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. “It cost us the drive. Next time I have to keep my composure. You can watch the film and see what happened.”
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Yet despite the penalty, Buckner had a solid game. The analytics website Pro Football Focus noted he pressured the quarterback twice, hit him once and had five run stops.
The performance comes a week after his best game, against the Bills, in which he was in on nine tackles, had two sacks and recovered a fumble.
The 49ers defense this season is horrible. There are holes everywhere. But at least Buckner and his former Oregon teammate Arik Armstead – at the other defensive end spot – are giving San Francisco some solid play and hope for the future.
