The San Francisco 49ers wheeled and dealed in the first round of the NFL Draft and finally selected at the number seventeen spot. The 49ers are looking to add depth to a defensive line that could possibly be losing Justin Smith due to retirement. In Armstead the 49ers took a chance on a raw but talented player.
As a member of the Oregon Ducks, Armstead he had 2.5 sacks to go along with 46 tackles. Armstead’s numbers may not jump off the screen, but he is someone you notice when you turn on the tape. Armstead only started in 18 games during his tenure in Oregon, but he will be brought a long slowly in the NFL just as he was in college. Armstead’s athleticism and stature made scouts drool over what he could become. Standing at 6’7, weighing over 290lbs his length and power are what teams loved about Armstead. As we’ve seen in every NFL Draft, the measurables of a player can get a general manager in the unemployment line rather fast. In this case, the 49ers have the luxury of having him learn under players such as Darnell Dockett and Glenn Dorsey as well as head coach Jim Tomsula who had produced arguably the best defensive line over his tenure when he was the defensive line coach.
Picks similar to Armstead will never garner any headlines, because he doesn’t play a glamour position. Trent Baalke has been money in his draft selections outside of a few so that should give the 49ers fans some excitement. Under the new regime under coach Tomsula it’s no surprise that the first selection was a position that he coached. Looking at the physical makeup of Armstead, he resembles Calias Campbell of the Arizona Cardinals. If Armstead is just as good as Campbell is the 49ers have a gem, but don’t expect him to be an instant success. The NFC West is the toughest division in all of football, and with Armstead leaving arguably one of the more softer divisions (Pac-12) in college football it will be an adjustment period that Armstead will have to go through as a player.
It’s clear that Armstead is a project, and the 49ers were willing to take a gamble on him. It will take about two to three years to gauge if this was the right pick, but until then 49ers nation have to be patient to see how Arik Armstead turns out over the next few seasons.
