Ronald Blair, DE, San Francisco 49ers
Some potential redemption projects arise due to injuries, and the next few names on this list are such players. One is Ronald Blair, the defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers. Blair was a Day Three selection by the 49ers back in the 2016 NFL Draft, when San Francisco picked him in the 5th round with the 142nd selection overall.
Blair has appeared in 47 games for the 49ers over the past four seasons, starting just two and being used primarily as a rotational pass rusher. But over the course of those four seasons, Blair has notched 13.5 sacks, including a career high in 2018 when he tallied 5.5. Blair has also been able to pressure the passer when called upon, and his 14 quarterback hits in 2018 were also a career-high.
Injuries have been an issue for Blair. In 2017 he missed ten games with a thumb injury, and his 2019 season was cut short when he tore his ACL back in November. Blair recently has started working out and seems on track to be ready for training camp, but the 49ers have a number of decisions to make regarding free agents along the defensive front. Arik Armstead, Damontre Moore, Anthony Zettel are all defensive ends who are up for free agency this season, and with Nick Bosa and Dee Ford also in the mix there are only so many DE spots to go around. If Blair does indeed find a new home, he can be counted on as a solid rotational option with the ability to collapse the pocket on passing downs.