DeForest Buckner is an American football defense tackle for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). Born on March 17, 1994, he played college football at University of Oregon and was drafted no.7 overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. 2019 saw Buckner selected to the second team of the All-Pro Pro Bowl while playing for the 49ers. He was chosen for the Colts’ first-team All-Pro team in 2020, and the following year, he made the Pro Bowl.

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In the 2016 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected Buckner with the seventh overall pick. He was the 49ers’ second first-round pick of an Oregon defensive end in a row. In the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, Buckner made his NFL debut and contributed one tackle to the 28-0 rout victory. In 15 games and starts, Buckner concluded his debut season with 73 tackles, six sacks, two fumble recoveries, and a pass deflection. He had the second-most tackles (73), and he had the most snaps (1,108) among all NFL defensive linemen. With six sacks, Buckner finished fourth among rookies.

In 16 games and starts, Buckner ended his second season as a pro with 61 tackles, five pass deflections, three sacks, and a forced fumble. Buckner ended his third season with 67 tackles, three pass deflections, a fumble recovery, and a career-high 12 sacks. As a result, Buckner was selected for his first Pro Bowl.

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The 49ers chose to exercise Buckner’s fifth-year option on April 24, 2019. In 16 games and starts in 2019, Buckner recorded 61 tackles, 7.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, two pass deflections, and a score. He was chosen to the Second-Team All-Pro on January 3, 2020. In the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs against the Minnesota Vikings, Buckner made his postseason debut. In the 31-20 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV, Buckner had six tackles.

The Indianapolis Colts received the first round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft in exchange for the 49ers’ transfer of Buckner to them on March 18, 2020.  Then, he agreed to a four-year, $84 million contract deal, which elevated him to the position of then second-highest-paid defensive lineman.

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In 15 games and 14 starts, Buckner concluded his first campaign with the Colts with 58 tackles, 9.5 sacks, three pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. Buckner was selected to the first team All-Pro for the 2020 season on January 8, 2021. In 17 games and 16 starts, Buckner concluded the 2021 season with 68 tackles, seven sacks, and three pass deflections.