SANTA CLARA – DeForest Buckner’s face lit up as he left the 49ers’ locker room on a busy day at Levi’s Stadium on Thursday.
A big smile broke across his face as Buckner was asked what he thought about one of the team’s newest additions, pass rusher Dee Ford.
“I love it,” Buckner said.
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As the 49ers build a better pass rush, Buckner figures to benefit as the team adds more threats at edge rusher.
Ford, whom the 49ers acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs for a second-round draft pick in 2020, was acquired to complement Buckner and fill a need at one of the team’s biggest needs.
“I help them, and they help me,” Ford said of the 49ers’ interior pass rush. "That’s what defense is. Any player that really brings a presence, you’re helping the secondary, you’re helping the linebackers, you’re really helping that guy inside of you. And the same thing for them. They’re really going to help me a lot.”
Buckner recorded 12 sacks as the 49ers’ only consistent pass-rusher last season. He earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl and made his mark as one of the top defensive linemen in the league.
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When asked how familiar he was with Buckner, Ford said, “Ah, come on.” He referred to Buckner and Arik Armstead as the “twin towers.”
“Yo, this is going to be fun, man,” Ford said. “This is going to be fun.”
Ford, a first-round draft pick in 2014, had his breakout season in 2016 with 10 sacks. After injuries limited him to six games in 2017, Ford had 13 sacks last year, prompting Kansas City to tag him as their franchise player before trading him to the 49ers this week.
Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones may have benefitted from Ford’s presence much the same way Buckner can use Ford to his advantage. Jones racked up 15.5 sacks last season.
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The key for Buckner is to continue to produce every season at a high level, Ford said.
“What I’m learning is consistency is really what makes you great in this league,” Ford said. “And he’s stacking those years now, and I’m in the same boat. We’re just trying to stack those years.
“A lot of people can have one great year. It’s really about stacking those years. So he’s going to start to get his recognition. We know who he is, but the world will start to know as he continues to stack those years.”