The 49ers are holding their first minicamp under coach Kyle Shanahan this week and one member of the defensive line isn’t able to be a full participant.
Arik Armstead ended last season on injured reserve due to a torn labrum in his shoulder that he’d been dealing with for some time. Armstead had the injury addressed surgically a short time later and he’s been held out of team drills this week as part of the rehab process.
“There comes a time when you’re trying to play through an injury, but your shoulder keeps popping out in the middle of a game,” Armstead said, via the Sacramento Bee. “It’s like, ‘What are you going to do?’ You’ve got to fix it.”
Armstead is able to take part in walkthroughs as the 49ers install a new defense under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Armstead has been lining up most often as the “Leo” defensive end that is generally asked to rush the passer from the right side of the line. That would be a new role for Armstead, who some believe will be joined on the defensive front by Stanford’s Solomon Thomas when the 49ers make the second overall pick on Thursday night.
That would make three straight defensive linemen in the first round for the 49ers after taking DeForest Buckner in 2016 and Armstead in 2015, although there’s plenty of other ways for things to play out when the team is on the board.