The San Francisco 49ers are having to rebuild their defensive front seven, and a lineman who seemingly would fit will be visiting with the team soon.
The Sacramento Bee reported that the 49ers will play host to Oregon defensive end Arik Armstead on a visit.
Armstead (6-foot-7, 292 pounds), a Sacramento native, is one of the more interesting D-line prospects in the draft. He left Oregon after his junior season and wasn't all that productive with the Ducks, finishing his career with a total of 87 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and four sacks. He was a fulltime starter for just one season, as a junior in 2014.
But he is considered a good athlete for a man of his size and his best football appears to be ahead of him. Armstead is No. 14 on NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah's list of the top 50 prospects in the draft, and Jeremiah calls him "an ideal 3-4 DE at the next level."
All six NFL Media analysts who have done mock drafts have Armstead going in the first round, and four of the six have him going to the 49ers with the 15th overall pick.
San Francisco has acquired Darnell Dockett, 33, but still needs more help up front in its 3-4 set, especially if veteran end Justin Smith doesn't come back.
Cornerback and inside linebacker also should be high on the 49ers' draft priority list, but no inside linebacker is worth the No. 15 pick. Thus, the pick could come down to a cornerback or a defensive lineman.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
