DeForest Buckner

There's no way to know exactly how Buckner will fit into the Indianapolis defense, but there's no doubt that he's an elite talent on the line with unusually strong conditioning. Even as the primary concern of the offensive line on any given play, he always showed the ability to play upwards of 1,000 snaps on the interior line. With the Colts, though, it seems unlikely that he'll play much more than 800 snaps. Still, his per-snap numbers from San Francisco would project to roughly 59 tackles and 6.5 sacks per 800 snaps, so Buckner should provide DL2 utility or better in most IDP formats.

Buckner is an elite defender whose uncommon conditioning allows him to approach 1,000 snaps despite the exhausting task of anchoring the San Francisco defensive line. In his three NFL seasons, Buckner already has 201 tackles, and he really threw down the gauntlet last year by breaking out for 12 sacks on 852 snaps. Offenses have already been doing everything they can to slow Buckner, so his per-snap production is mostly sustainable even if last year was the best-case scenario for sack production. Buckner is a sound DL1 with 70-tackle, 10-sack upside.

The general rule is that defensive linemen see fewer snaps the bigger they are, with the reasonable underlying premise being that bigger linemen get more blocking attention, and thus take more of a beating. Buckner seems immune to that rule. He's a huge lineman at 6-7, 300 pounds, yet he's displayed a freakish level of conditioning and durability to play 1,000 snaps or more in a season. Any lineman who plays that much has an advantage over the field of IDPs, making him a strong bet to rank among the positional tackle leaders.

The 49ers selected Buckner seventh overall last year because he fits like a glove as an end in a 3-4 scheme at 6-7, 300, but he likely will play tackle in the 49ers' new 4-3 scheme this year. It's not ideal to be that tall and line up over guard, but Buckner is a unique enough athlete to produce anyway. He was productive as a 22-year-old rookie starter last year, posting 73 tackles despite missing one game with a foot issue. He logged a lot of plays to get there, however, playing 1,005 snaps, and it might be more realistic to project something like 900 this season.

Rookie 3-4 ends normally don't make IDP noise, but Buckner might be a different breed. A rare athlete at 6-foot-7, 291 pounds with incredible conditioning, Buckner is already a polished product and shouldn't need the acclimation time most DEs would require. He was exceptionally productive at Oregon the last two years, exceeding 80 tackles in both seasons while totaling 30 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks in just 28 games. He's a boom-or-bust IDP consideration with a low floor, but Buckner might do a good Calais Campbell impression surprisingly early in his career.