On Monday morning, Peter Schrager of "Good Morning Football" named cornerback Richard Sherman as one of the most underrated players in the NFL. Analyst Daniel Jeremiah identified Buckner as one of his most underrated players.
"I believe the 49ers got the best player in the draft in Nick Bosa," Jeremiah said during the "Move the Sticks" podcast. "What he's going to benefit from is playing next to DeForest Buckner because Buckner can do so many things. You can rush him off the edge. You can do all the speed, power stuff off the edge. He can slide inside, rush over a guard, do anything you want to do there.
"12 sacks last year, and I felt like it kind of went under the radar. Nobody really talked about this guy. He's freakish in terms of his athleticism, his size. Think about Calais Campbell and what he was in his prime. That's where DeForest Buckner is right now."
RELATED
Buckner is coming off of his third NFL season where he recorded, as Jeremiah mentioned, a career-high 12 sacks to go along with his 67 combined tackles and three passes defensed.
San Francisco picked up Buckner's fifth-year option this offseason with hopes of working out an extension. While the two sides are reportedly far apart in negotiations, general manager John Lynch believes a deal will get done.
"I would love nothing more than for DeFo to be here," Lynch said before the draft. "We've got a long time to work on that. He's very important to us, and he's another guy who's a big part of what we're doing. I just love everything about him, and the way he goes about his business. I think he's a special player, and we'd like to keep him here for a long time."
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
ESPN names 49ers as 'favorite team fit' for Iowa State cornerback
It's not far-fetched to think the San Francisco 49ers could use a 2025 draft pick on a cornerback—possibly even their first-round selection, the 11th overall. According to NFL Mock Draft Database, many mock drafts project them doing just that. ESPN's Matt Bowen recently... -
Evan Anderson, Tatum Bethune, Among 49ers Players Named as Breakout Candidates by Team Insider
Matt Barrows, one of the 49ers reporters for The Athletic, is out with a new article looking at "Ben Bartch and 6 other little-known 49ers who could have big roles in 2025." In it, he details which players could break out and help the team compete in 2025, despite having a... -
The 3 most common 49ers picks in mock drafts
While most mock drafts predict that the San Francisco 49ers will use the 11th overall pick on an offensive or defensive lineman, the most frequently projected player isn't from either position group. According to NFL Mock Draft Database, which compiles data from many mock... -
Among 49ers' offseason priorities: Fix the run defense
The San Francisco 49ers struggled against the run in 2024, allowing 124.6 rushing yards per game, ranking 18th in the NFL. The unit surrendered 24 rushing touchdowns. Only the Dallas Cowboys allowed more (25). Opponents averaged 4.4 yards per carry against them, tying for 12th...