Arik Armstead has been a stud this season. Let’s get that out the way. The former Oregon Duck’s rise over the course of this otherwise largely painful campaign has been mostly ignored, but it has certainly created an interesting dilemma for the front office this offseason and beyond. Armstead hasn’t just been blowing it up as a big end, his primary position. He has also been moved inside more to nose tackle in nickel - a development that, paired with Solomon Thomas playing more 3-tech, has the potential to produce a significant re-jig of the 49ers’ defensive line rotation heading into an offseason when the team surely adds the upper tier edge rusher they’ve been craving since Aldon Smith departed.
Arik Armstead’s underestimated development
