With the No. 17 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers have selected defensive end Arik Armstead of Oregon. Armstead isn't a consistent pass rusher, but is one of the strongest defensive linemen in this year's draft, and is always a handful for blockers.
NFL Draft results 2015: Arik Armstead to 49ers at No. 17
San Francisco added a powerful defensive lineman in Arik Armstead.
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Armstead is great at using his hands and manhandles his way through blockers to get to the quarterback, though he’s better as a guy who simply gets consistent pressure into the backfield. Whether that results in the quarterback changing direction, getting sacked, throwing an incomplete pass or a tackle for loss on a running back, Armstead does it well.
His biggest knock is that he didn’t get many sacks over the course of his career. He had just one sack in 2013 -- when he started five games -- and finished the 2014 season with just 2.5 sacks, 16 quarterback pressures and 4.5 tackles for loss.
There are some technique issues he needs to work out at the next level -- the power he uses to dispatch an offensive linemen is often wasted when he loses the ball carrier. Still, there’s a lot to work with and he should be able to come in and start right away if needed.
The 49ers had several needs after a tumultuous offseason. The team still doesn't know if Justin Smith is going to retire or return for another season, and with former defensive line coach Jim Tomsula taking over as the head coach, a defensive lineman isn't surprising.
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