Flashback to March 16, 2020. A few days after the San Francisco 49ers reached a five-year extension with Arik Armstead, the team traded DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a top-15 pick.
The Colts made Buckner the second-highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL behind Aaron Donald at the time. Buckner wanted Donald money, and he got it. The move saved Buckner $12.3 million, but it also lost one of the most valuable pieces from one of the best defensive lines in recent memory.
Fast forward to today, and the 49ers haven’t sniffed replacing Buckner’s production. They’ve tried. Using a first-round pick on Javon Kinlaw never panned out. This past season, Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins were supposed to be a 1-2 punch to supplement Nick Bosa. Both rookies could wind up being quality players in this league, but Buckner’s play has proven he was always going to be impossible to replace.
Kyle Shanahan was complimentary of Buckner during Thursday’s media session:
“Yeah, Buck looks like the same guy to me. Buck was huge for us. Such a stud of a person when we got here. He was a dude who just did things the right way, just to me, naturally, that must come from how he was raised, coming out of college, whatever it was. But he did things the right way from day one. Such a good talent. One of the main reasons we had such a good, I started with him on the D-Line in ‘19 and was very grateful for my time here with Buck.”
Buckner has been sidelined since Week 9. He’s expected to return this week, naturally. On the season, Buckner has 33 pressures and 11 quarterback hits. The 49ers’ defensive tackle group this season has combined for 40 pressures and six quarterback hits. Buckner’s base salary this season is $13 million.
The 49ers will face another one of their former defensive lineman on Monday night. Samson Ebukam, who has been a productive role player this season for the Colts, will get his shot at revenge. Ebukam has started one game this year. He’s playing around 42 percent of the snaps. On the year, Ebukam has a pair of sacks and 23 pressures to go along with 13 run stops. For reference, Sam Okayinonu has 19 pressures and stops, so the drop-off is minimal, if there is any.
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