Summary

Arik Armstead was selected in Round 1 (#17 Overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Oregon. Over his decade-plus career, he has played for the 49ers (2015–2023) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (2024–present). As of 2025, Armstead has accumulated 350+ total tackles, 41.0 sacks, 100+ quarterback hits, 4 forced fumbles, and 9 pass deflections as a versatile interior defender and occasional edge rusher. He has produced double-digit sack seasons, including 10 sacks in 2019, and has been a key contributor on formidable defensive fronts. In addition to on-field play, he was recognized as the 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year for his community impact with the Armstead Academic Project. Armstead is known for his size (6′7″, 290 lbs), athleticism, and leadership, though his career has been impacted at times by injuries and scheme fits.

Strengths

• Elite physical traits & size: At 6′7″ and 290 lbs, Armstead offers a rare combination of length, size, and athleticism that helps disrupt blocks, chase down plays, and occupy space in both run and pass defense.

• Pass-rush upside: Armstead has shown the ability to rush the passer effectively from multiple alignments, including strong interior pressure and edge contained rushes and consistent pressure generation in various seasons.

• Run-defense and gap awareness: When engaged, Armstead shows good gap integrity, can shed blocks, and makes tackles near the line of scrimmage and his reach and long arms help disengage from offensive linemen and bat down passes.

• Experience, leadership and production: A decade in the league with consistent snaps and peak performance seasons show he can be a reliable, experienced presence on the defensive line.

Weaknesses

• Injury history & availability concerns: Armstead has struggled with injuries over his career, including foot and knee issues that have limited games in multiple seasons, raising questions about long-term durability.

• Production volatility: His sack and pressure numbers have fluctuated, but a lot of this can be attributed to scheme. For example, in 2024, Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen insisted on playing him regularly on the edge instead of the interior, where he is most effective.

• Run-defense inconsistency: Advanced grades in recent years have shown mixed run-defense evaluations, suggesting he’s not always dominant against power schemes or consistently anchoring inside, despite his ability to understand assignments and maintain gap integrity.

• Age & father time: Armstead is getting longer in the tooth, and as he continues to reach the twilight of his career, his explosiveness, stamina, and twitch will continue to subside.

Outlook

Armstead continues to play as a high-impact interior defensive lineman who can still influence games in both run support and pass rush, especially when used inside on early downs and passing situations where his size and length matter most. His versatility allows him to slide along the defensive front — from 3-technique tackle to edge roles in sub-packages — giving coordinators flexibility to shape fronts based on opponent weaknesses. Armstead’s outlook is positive but tempered by durability and consistency questions. If he can maintain health and be deployed in a scheme that leverages his interior pass-rush skills and physicality, he can continue to be a valuable starter or situational force up front.