General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan didn't just add one elite pass rusher to the defensive front. They brought in two. The team traded for Dee Ford in March and then used the No. 2 overall draft pick on Nick Bosa in April.
Ford racked up a career-high 13 sacks last season. Pro Football Focus graded him as the league's best edge defender in 2018, and his 19 quarterback hits ranked fifth in the NFL among all defenders. Bosa recorded 17.5 sacks in just over two seasons with Ohio State and was considered by most to be the best pass rusher — and even the best overall player — among this year's rookie class.
Buckner led 49ers defenders in sacks last season. Will that be the case this year? That's what we asked fans via a poll on Twitter.
While Buckner received 37 percent of the votes, it wasn't enough to rank No. 1. Ford earned 48 percent of the fan votes for the top spot while Bosa came in third with 14 percent. The option of "Other" received one percent of the votes.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
Next man up: Isaac Guerendo ready to lead 49ers backfield
San Francisco 49ers rookie Isaac Guerendo didn't transition to playing running back until he arrived at Wisconsin. Before that, he was a wide receiver but understood a position change was necessary at the collegiate level. That carried throughout his college career, even after... -
Team meeting with unexpected speakers helps propel 49ers to blowout win over Bears
It's possible the past week will go down as a point in time when a new wave of vocal leaders came to the forefront for the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers have long been a team with authoritative and charismatic veteran team leaders, among them linebacker Fred Warner, tight end... -
"It's just stupid, and it's very immature": 49ers react to De'Vondre Campbell quitting on the team
San Francisco 49ers linebacker De'Vondre Campbell left Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams in the third quarter, heading to the locker room. Initially, many assumed it was due to an injury—despite him not playing. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan later revealed a... -
49ers Notebook: 'We're going to find out who wants to be here'; Dre Greenlaw's return sparks team; Purdy's costly INT; Rams RB talks a little trash after win
Underneath the frustration of their rather awful 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night, the San Francisco 49ers experienced one of the best moments of their forgettable 2024 season -- the return of linebacker Dre Greenlaw from the torn Achilles that kept him on...