The flurry of the NFL draft has settled and the 49ers are continuing to overhaul a roster that was in serious need of fixing. The general consensus prior to the draft was that the league’s worst run defense would need to be bolstered early. General manager John Lynch made the expected move of addressing the front seven with selections of Stanford defensive lineman Solomon Thomas and traded up for Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster.

The lack of a viable, long-term threat at edge pass rusher went unsolved until the sixth round when Lynch selected Utah edge player Pita Taumoepenu at No. 202 overall. DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead and Thomas are interior players that lack the ideal bend, balance and explosiveness to be routine edge players.

Nevertheless, the team has mentioned “cutting loose” Armstead and letting him rush from a wider alignment. The likelihood of a player that large having significant impact as a pass-rusher without counter moves is rare. If Armstead can’t win immediately with a bull rush, he lacks the agility and technical proficiency to vary moves.

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Naturally, the selection of Taumoepenu in the sixth round suggests that Lynch believes the players already on the roster can rush the passer just fine, and Taumoepenu is little more than a backup to begin his career. However, as the LEO in the 49ers new defense, Taumoepenu would likely be playing out of place as well.

Taumoepenu wasn’t a full-time starter at Utah, a nod to the lack of refinement and development he has a pass rusher. The 49ers appear content to let Armstead, Aaron Lynch and Ronald Blair compete for time at the LEO position. The need then, especially for a player like Taumoepenu, is to backup at the SAM position.

Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh described the SAM in the 49ers defense as a player that primarily rushes the passer, particularly in sub packages. Taomoepenu has the body type of an on-ball linebacker at 6-foot-1 and 243 pounds. Ideally, he would add another 10-15 pounds of muscle and retain the same explosiveness that got him drafted in the first place.

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Taomoepenu was able to win at Utah with high effort and athleticism despite an undersized frame. That type of playing style won’t work in the NFL without the necessary play strength and weight to hold up against athletic tackles.

Malcolm Smith was paid in free agency to, presumably, play the WILL and SAM roles that he starred in for the Seattle Seahawks. Smith was an off-ball linebacker for the Raiders the last two seasons and his inability to diagnose interior runs and fill downhill versus offensive guards was a liability. A move back to the edge is likely best for Smith and should offer a career revival of sorts.

The transition back to SAM, however, won’t signal guaranteed success for Smith. He, much like Taomoepenu as a LEO, lacks the body type to be an every-down player. A combination of the skill sets of Smith and Taomoepenu could create production at the SAM position in 2017.

Smith has the technical proficiency and experience in the new scheme to serve as the base down player. Taomoepenu, sporting continual energy, could be inserted on obvious passing downs to rush the passer. Each player would see the field with a clear directive of expectations.

Taomoepenu has the size and speed to play every special teams as a rookie and could be a justified roster spot given his versatility. The need to find a true pass-rushing specialist was avoided until late in the draft. Additionally, Foster is physically and stylistically suited to play off the ball, suggesting Smith is seen as a true SAM.

Smith is a veteran piece but he’s far from a player to build around. Pair him with a cheap rookie and the two could contain the necessary skills to be an effective on-ball linebacker that can play in space and rush the passer. The plan should be to use Taomoepenu as a core special-teamer and a backup SAM if the goal is to isolate his strengths.