San Francisco 49ers Receive Honest Admission on Recent Trade Addition

The San Francisco 49ers made in splash this week. The Niners traded for a familiar face in star defensive lineman DeForest Buckner.

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Buckner, who was drafted by the Niners out of Oregon, cut his teeth in San Francisco, carving out a name for himself with one of the NFL's most successful franchises. Now, he's back with the team he started with as a rookie.

Sports Illustrated's Eva Geitheim graded the Niners' trade addition with an A. Geitheim explained why the addition is so important to Buckner's new team.

"The 49ers were the top predicted landing spot for Buckner, and a reunion was indeed in store for the two sides. The franchise selected Buckner in the first round of the 2016 draft, and traded him to the Colts in 2020 after their first Super Bowl appearance under Kyle Shanahan. Now, they’re bringing back the three-time Pro Bowler as they look to make a run at the Super Bowl once again. 

While the 49ers already traded for defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa during the offseason, they were still in need of more help along the defensive line—especially after managing just three pressures against Michael Penix Jr. in their Week 7 loss to the Falcons. Even with Nick Bosa slated to return, the 49ers’ pass rush remained an area in need of improvement after they finished last in the NFL in sacks last season. The rush was always going to need multiple players to get better alongside the return of Bosa, and the 49ers have done just that by bringing back Buckner, who has four sacks so far this season. No player on the 49ers has that many sacks (Keion White currently leads the team with 3.5 sacks). Buckner is an immediate upgrade to the pass rush and should be able to help the 49ers get more pressure from the interior of the defense."

Oct 25, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan walks off the field after their game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Does the addition move the needle for the Niners? It's hard to say that the needle needed to be moved. San Francisco seems like the best team in the NFC although the Minnesota Vikings have their own claim at that title at an undefeated 6-0 record.

To be clear, Buckner is no Myles Garrett or Maxx Crosby. But in fairness, he is not far off pace of matching his career-best sack season that he set with the Niners. Before moving on to the Colts, Buckner amassed a 12-sack season. He has four sacks in seven games so far this year.

We'll see if he can sustain that production over the rest of the 2026 season.

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