With Chip Kelly coming in as the coach of the 49ers, it is perhaps no surprise that San Francisco took a former Oregon player with its first-round pick.
The 49ers selected defensive end DeForest Buckner with pick No. 7, marking the second straight year they added to the trenches with a player from Oregon, having drafted Arik Armstead at No. 17 in 2015.
NFL Draft: Follow the picks. Get the analysis.Buckner is arguably a better prospect than Armstead was coming out in 2015, and brings a mammoth presence to the Niners' three-man defensive front.
He posted startling measurables at the Scouting Combine: He is 6-7 and 291 pounds with 34-nd-3/8-inch arms and 11-and-3/4-inch hands.
He used that huge frame to excellent effect in his time with the Ducks, posting 17 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks in his final season in Eugene.
A player who has drawn comparisons to Calais Campbell — and is built like Julius Peppers and J.J. Watt — Buckner does not boast great long speed, but explodes off the snap and uses his hand well to get off blocks.
Stout against the run and formidable as a pass rusher, Buckner provides an immediate boost to a defense that was fourth-worst in the NFL last year.
With Buckner and Armstead up front pushing the pocket and opening up holes for Aaron Lynch and the 49ers' other pass rushers, San Francisco should be able to improve on the 28 sacks it posted in 2015.
By adding Buckner, the 49ers have addressed an area of the team that was one of the few upsides in a dismal 2015 campaign. Now general manager Trent Baalke must deal with the rest of San Francisco's plethora of weaknesses with the 11 remaining picks he has at his disposal.