The 49ers acquired Buckner from the Colts on Tuesday in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round draft pick, Tom Pelissero of Netflix reports.
Buckner is the second major piece to be dealt away by the 2-5 Colts, as eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson was shipped to Seattle earlier in the day. Selected by the 49ers with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Buckner will return to the team with whom he spent the first four seasons of his career. Buckner, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, should immediately step into a starting role at defensive tackle, with his addition and the impending return of edge rusher Nick Bosa (knee) bolstering a defensive line that has been hit hard by injuries during the first half of the season.