Our look at the 49ers by position continues on today with a glance at the defensive line, which on paper is shaping up to be one of the strengths of the team. It could also wind up being an area where a tough roster decision or two will need to be made.

Players: Arik Armstead, Ronald Blair, Pita Taumoepenu,Authentic Preston Smith Jersey,Pat Tillman Jersey, DeForest Buckner,Authentic Patrick Peterson Jersey,Matt Jones Jersey, Tank Carradine, Quinton Dial, Elvis Dumervil, Chris Jones, Earl Mitchell, D.J. Jones, Aaron Lynch, Noble Nwachukwu, Solomon Thomas

Safe: Armstead, Buckner, Mitchell, Thomas

Competing for a roster spot/depth chart position: Blair, Lynch, Carradine, Dial, D.J. Jones, Dumervil, Chris Jones

Practice squad candidate: Nwachukwu, Taumoepenu

The 49ers did a fine job upgrading this position in the offseason, bringing in Mitchell, Thomas,Preston Smith Jersey,Authentic Larry Fitzgerald Jersey,Patrick Peterson Jersey,Larry Fitzgerald Jersey,Authentic Pat Tillman Jersey,Authentic Matt Jones Jersey, and Dumervil along with late-round picks D.J. Jones and Taumoepenu. Combine that with what was already in place and there's suddenly a good amount of talent and promise to work with up front.

Heading into camp, it seems like the key question is who will get the bulk of the reps at the LEO spot. The early frontrunner is Armstead, but 49ers coaches were complimentary about his efforts to get back to where he needed to be. Still, but the addition of Dumervil late in offseason workouts will throw a twist into things. Lynch is also in the mix; he made headlines this spring due to being overweight, he's viewed as a player who will need to prove himself come camp.

Elsewhere on the line, DeForest Buckner and Earl Mitchell are certainly locks to make the roster, as is first-round pick Solomon Thomas, who missed OTAs and mandatory minicamp while he was finishing up school at Stanford. Where and how Thomas fits in and how he looks once he's finally out on the field will be one of the storylines to follow come training camp.

Past those four, Chris Jones, there will be some mixing, matching and battling as the 49ers determine who will remain on the roster. If Dumervil is past the injury issue that plagued him last season and is back to his old self, as general manager John Lynch has declared, he'll grab one spot. Ronald Blair and Quinton Dial seem to be a good bet to grab spots of their own, the 49ers could face some tough decisions between Tank Carradine, and we'll bet on Lynch making the cut as well. From there, and the sixth-round picks D.J. Jones and Taumoepenu. The latter two as well as undrafted rookie Nwachukwu will be practice squad candidates if they are unable to make the roster.

While not everyone may fit perfectly into what the 49ers will be doing under new defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, both to see how the roster battles turn out as well as how to see the progression of the team's promising young players., this is a position that definitely looks to be in better shape than it was last season. It'll be an area to keep an eye on in August