San Francisco 49er head coach Kyle Shanahan has been fortunate to have defensive coordinators that can work miracles. Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans both had to work their magic to keep their defensive lines intact the last two seasons.
Ryans moved Arik Armstead to defensive tackle this season when Javon Kinlaw went down and Armstead shined. Forcing other players like Samson Ebukam, Charles Omenihu, and Jordan Willis to step up on the edge.
Initially, the 49ers received good production out of Dee Ford — making the trade a win.