The need for an impact pass rusher in San Francisco wasn’t a secret. Their productivity getting to the quarterback off the edge in 2018 was part of the reason their defense struggled and came up with an NFL record low two interceptions. Trading for Dee Ford may solve a large part of their problem at that position.
Ford’s traditional stats were exceptional. He had 13 sacks, which tied for seventh-most in the league and would’ve led the 49ers. San Francisco’s leading edge rusher last season, Cassius Marsh, had 5.5 sacks.
Ford also led the NFL with seven forced fumbles. The 49ers had seven takeaways all year on defense – the worst mark in the league.
Analytics were also very kind to Ford in his fifth season. His stats on Pro Football Focus were dominant to the point of absurdity.
He led the league with 71 pressures in the regular season and 84 between the regular season and playoffs according to PFF. Ford also had a league-high 35 quarterback knockdowns, which is a stat that combines sacks and quarterback hits. His pressure rate came in at 15.1 percent, good for the fifth-best mark in all of football. All of that earned him a league-high 91.0 overall grade from the analytics site.
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