Buckner has skills Raiders don’t have
Colts defensive tackle represents everything Las Vegas needs from its defensive front
The Las Vegas Raiders went looking for a three-technique defensive tackle on the cheap in free agency and came up empty.
The Indianapolis Colts paid big in draft capital as well as actual dollars and haven’t regretted it for a second.
DeForest Buckner, traded from the 49ers to the Colts a month before the 2020 NFL draft, has upgraded a formidable defense while the Raiders are still searching for answers in the middle.
The Colts (8- 4) hope to maintain their wild card advantage on the Raiders (7-5) Sunday at Allegiant Stadium. The 49ers, meanwhile, are 5-7, have been destroyed by injuries and only time will tell whether moving Buckner for a first-round draft pick was the right move.
The 49ers knew what they had in Buckner, and also knew they weren’t ready to fork out what it was going to take to keep him with fellow defensive lineman Aric Armstead also due big money. Buckner signed a fouryear extension worth a maximum of $84 million with more
than $44 million in guarantees upon arrival in Indianapolis.
Buckner said the contract brought no added pressure since his work was on film for all to see.
“As long as I consistently work to become a better player, leader, teammate and all of that everything will fall into place,” Buckner told Colts writers. “I’m the same DeForest I was in San Francisco. I’m just here in Indianapolis.”
Buckner, who lined up as a 3- 4 end in the 49ers’ system, has been a three-technique defensive tackle in a 4-3 with the Colts. His job is to penetrate and disrupt, and his play has had an effect on the entire Colts defense.
“The effect of an interior defensive lineman like DeForest Buckner is really immense when you think about the ripple effect it has on the run defense and the pass defense,” Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus told reporters.
The hope for Raiders coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock was Maliek Collins would be that player as a threetechnique tackle for the Raiders at a cost of $6 million for one year, with the enticement being free agent riches waited in 2021. Collins has been a non-factor and is on injured reserve with the possibility of returning for the last two games. Then Collins will enter free agency and the Raiders will start their search all over again.
Buckner, still only 26, is a foundational piece in Indianapolis.
“He has great stamina and down-to- down competitiveness for that big of a man,” Gruden said. “We liked him as a 49er, loved him (in college) at Oregon. I could see why the Colts sacrificed the contract and the draft pick to get him. He’s a hell of a player and he made his presence felt last week against Houston. He’s going to be a handful for us.”
At 6-foot-7, 295 pounds, Buckner is tall for a threetechnique tackle, given that the best players at that position such as John Randle and Warren Sapp were 6-foot-2 and played lower to the ground while knifing through offensive blocking schemes.
“He really stands out by getting to the ball, aside from the fact that he’s 6-7,” Raiders left guard Denzelle Good said. “He is definitely one of the top guys in this league at the three-technique.”