A quick observation of first-round pick Arik Armstead and how he has played through three weeks of training camp:

I have to admit, I waffled a bit on the thumb and in which direction to point it, given first-rounders, in theory, are supposed to contribute immediately as game-changers, no?

Well, not quite. At least, not when it comes to the San Francisco 49ers and No. 17 overall selection Arik Armstead because, remember, he was not drafted with the intention of him making a huge impact immediately, let alone starting. Rather, the defensive end was a pick for the future, and if he gave the Niners anything right away, that was a bonus. And if the Niners actually, you know, needed something big from him, that meant they had much larger issues.

The Niners’ D-line is full of depth -- albeit unknown depth -- and Armstead, despite missing most of the offseason training program because Oregon was still in school, has looked anything but lost on the field.

In practice, he’s a physical specimen who is not as raw as one might expect him to be.

In two exhibition games, he has flashed potential.

At Houston in the preseason opener, Armstead was credited with two tackles and his presence was noticed as he offered a push rotating in with the second- and third-stringers against the Texans.

And in the Niners’ preseason home opener against the Dallas Cowboys, Armstead had a tackle and a pass defensed. But his biggest play came when he pressured Cowboys third-string quarterback Dustin Vaughan into making an ill-advised throw ... right into the chest of 303-pound nose tackle Mike Purcell, who rumbled for a 37-yard pick-six.

So yeah, Armstead gets a thumbs-up in this corner ... even if it is a tad unconventional.