After reviewing all 17 plays San Francisco 49ers<\/a> rookie defensive end Deforest Buckner<\/a> played in the 49ers first preseason game against the Houston Texans<\/a>, I give Buckner a C\u00a0grade. For a rookie in his first game, Buckner did about as well as to be expected. He had some flashes of good plays, but he also showed his lack of NFL<\/a> experience by being completely taken out of plays. Touted as a better player against the rush than the pass in college, Buckner followed through on that evaluation in his debut.<\/span><\/p>\n

First, let’s break down the\u00a0good tape. In the first clip below, Buckner does a great job of getting of holding his spot, shedding his blocker, and helping finish the tackle with linebacker Ray Ray Armstrong<\/a>. In the second clip, Buckner’s best play of the game, he pushes the right tackle back two yards into the backfield, and tackles the running back for a short gain. The third clip shows Buckner\u2019s strength in shedding blocks and making tackles. The only negative in this clip is the fact that he was pushed back a couple yards. In the final clip in this series, Buckner pushes into the backfield and tries to shed his block but is held by the guard. This missed call by the official leads to more than 10 yard game by the Texans running back.<\/span><\/p>\n