San Francisco 49ers defensive end DeForest Buckner was voted NFC West rookie of the year by the four reporters covering the division for ESPN.com.

Alden Gonzalez, Los Angeles Rams reporter: Buckner, the seventh overall pick out of Oregon, was one of few consistent members of a dreadful 49ers defense this season, accruing the third-most snaps and tying for the team lead with six sacks. Buckner added 18 quarterback hits and seven tackles for loss, and Pro Football Focus ranked him 31st among 125 qualified interior linemen. Now the Niners need to find a way to get him some help.

Sheil Kapadia, Seattle Seahawks reporter: There were not a lot of standout rookies in the NFC West this year, but Buckner looks like he has a promising future, regardless of what scheme a new coach implements. Buckner led all rookie defensive linemen with 73 tackles and had 18 quarterback hits. On a team in serious need of a talent overhaul, Buckner offers a building block in the front seven.

Nick Wagoner, San Francisco 49ers reporter: One of the few bright spots in a lost season for the 49ers, Buckner was as valuable for his availability as he was for his production. He finished with 73 tackles, tied for third most among all defensive linemen while playing 963 snaps, which was second only to the New York Giants' Olivier Vernon. Buckner also had six sacks, which was fourth among rookies in the league.

Josh Weinfuss, Arizona Cardinals reporter: There was no more impactful rookie than Buckner this season. Among rookie defenders, he played a division-high 963 snaps with six sacks and two fumble recoveries -- all division highs among rookies. Regardless of how the 49ers played as a collective, Buckner shined. But his durability was even more impressive. Despite missing a game, he still managed to play the second-most snaps among all defensive linemen in the NFL this season, and he was among some premier company behind Vernon and ahead of No. 3 Cam Jordan of New Orleans, No. 4 Ndamukong Suh of Miami and No. 5 Khalil Mack of Oakland.