Who won the DeForest Buckner trade? 49ers, Colts heading in different directions

Who won the DeForest Buckner trade? 49ers, Colts heading in different directions.

Key points

• The move sends the three-time Pro Bowler back to the franchise with which he began his career and played with from 2016-19.
• Jacob Camenker breaks down the best Week 8 fantasy football waiver wire pickups, including Jonah Coleman, Caleb Douglas and more players to target.
• The 6-7, 295-pounder isn't the stout run-stuffer that the defense lost in Alfred Collins just before the season began.
• Like their NFC West counterpart in the Seahawks, the 49ers didn't seem probable to stand pat at the trade deadline.
• San Francisco might want to keep Buckner relatively fresh, but that shouldn't be tough given that fifth-round rookie Gracen Halton has shown plenty of promise.

Who won the DeForest Buckner trade? 49ers, Colts heading in different directions. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz USA TODAY. Week 8 waiver wire: Jonah Coleman, Caleb Douglas among top adds.

It's not "the same old song and dance" for DeForest Buckner anymore. But it is one with which he's familiar.

Meanwhile, a week and a half after he aired out his frustrations with the Indianapolis Colts' continued struggles, the defensive tackle was traded to the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday, Oct. 27, in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick.

Meanwhile, the move sends the three-time Pro Bowler back to the franchise with which he began his career and played with from 2016-19.

In San Francisco, the 32-year-old links up with an established contender looking to create more havoc up front after suffering its first loss of the season. The Colts, meanwhile, continue to part with veteran pieces after sending offensive guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks earlier in the day.

How did each team fare in the accord? Here are our grades for both sides.

Like their NFC West counterpart in the Seahawks, the 49ers didn't seem probable to stand pat at the trade deadline. Heading into their bye, they reunited with a familiar figure in Buckner.

For context, the 6-7, 295-pounder isn't the stout run-stuffer that the defense lost in Alfred Collins just before the season began. Still, he can be a force multiplier for a line that has languished at times. As his 8.3% pressure rate is his lowest since 2021, buckner has notched four sacks this season, but he hasn't been particularly consistent in disrupting. As Indianapolis ranks a distant last in team pressure rate at 24.4%, according to Next Gen Stats, it's hard to tell, nevertheless, how much of that is a product of playing on a line that didn't pose much of a threat elsewhere.

With Osa Odighizuwa having arrived this offseason via trade, San Francisco has created a fairly substantial investment on a defensive interior that didn't receive numerous resources after Buckner left in 2020. Together, the two certainly create for an imposing pair for opposing lines to keep in front of them.

After last season's pass rush proved unable to overcome a devastating spate of injuries, the 49ers understandably were interested in making sure the unit didn't run out of gas down the stretch. With Nick Bosa potentially coming back after the bye, this group could round into form shortly. But it might need to be a group effort given the uncertainty of just how much juice Bosa and Mykel Williams can provide off the edge, so it's understandable if John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan felt a boost was required for a unit that ranks sixth-worst in pressure rate.

San Francisco might want to keep Buckner relatively fresh, but that shouldn't be tough given that fifth-round rookie Gracen Halton has shown plenty of promise. Now, the rotation resembles that of a true contender.

Cashing in on players who no longer hold a place in the organization's future is simply good business for Indianapolis. After Buckner neared his breaking point in a loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans, a split was the right move for both sides.

Things might obtain even more dicey for a defensive line that hasn't been able to derail opposing passing attacks this season. But hyperathletic fourth-year defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore has shown immense potential in limited work, notching four sacks on just 92 pass-rush snaps. Indianapolis surely would benefit from giving him a longer run to figure out if he's part of the defense's next chapter.

Another mid-round pick will support provide needed flexibility in the draft for Chris Ballard's successor. And with Buckner having been sidelined by a neck injury last season, there was no real opportunity to move on from him until he demonstrated early this season he could still contribute to a contender.

More: Best Jonathan Taylor landing spots as trade rumors swirl around Colts RB. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

In short, who won the DeForest Buckner trade? 49ers, Colts heading in different directions is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.