Many are under the impression that it’s a coin flip in the first round between wide receiver or edge rusher for the San Francisco 49ers in the first round. Mock drafters are convinced the Niners will finally draft Trent Williams successor.
One NFL Insider believes the 49ers will look to the secondary for help as early as the first round. The idea is that the defensive line will get better once Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams round into form after returning from injury. But the quality and the depth at cornerback, specifically, are lacking:
The 49ers also have to wonder about their secondary and specifically if they have sufficient depth and quality at cornerback.
And, historically, teams tend to take a shot on defensive back after defensive back in the back end of the first round, when San Francisco is once again picking (as is the norm for them). The depth chart at that position leaves much to be desired in terms of adding another immediate starter and also addressing more quality depth.
The defense badly needs more playmakers, and while head coach Kyle Shanahan has proven he can overcome so-so offensive line play with his scheme and play calling, and he can turn good players into high-impact performers in the pass game, they are now in a division with arguably the two best teams in the NFL (Rams and Seahawks) and both have precision offenses that can shred lackluster secondaries.
The markets aren’t favoring San Francisco going with a defensive back, but evaluators I have asked about the 49ers wouldn’t be nearly as shocked by such a move.
“Hell yeah they need a corner or two,” said one longtime NFL evaluator whose team is picking in the same relative area as the 49ers.
Teams will continue to spread the 49ers out, especially if the pass rush doesn’t get back close to where it was, and put tremendous pressure on the offense to score at a high rate.
Nickel has become the base look in the NFL, and matching-up is critical.
The 49ers at +550 to take a corner, given how that position is being evaluated and where those prospects may fall between picks 24-32 might be worth a sprinkle.
The 49ers don’t have an issue at nickel, as Upton Stout was one of, if not their most productive defender, last season. I am curious whether the Niners are comfortable shuffling the deck in the secondary to get their best five on the field. Perhaps that involves moving Stout to safety or Deommodore Lenoir back inside.
The 49ers will presumably leave their defense as is and look to add the best player. If that’s a cornerback, it might speak to the 49ers’ ability to get out of Lenoir’s contract with minimal financial repercussions after this season and the need to upgrade. Renardo Green heads into an all-important third year of his rookie deal as well. Remember, Raheem Morris has zero ties to any of these players.
Cornerbacks projected to go late in the first round include Jermod McCoy, Colton Hood, Chris Johnson, and Brandon Cisse. Avieon Terrell was in that group until he ran a 4.64 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. Keith Abney, out of Arizona State, deserves to be in that group based on film, but he’s on the smaller side.
How would you feel if the 49ers selected a cornerback over another “need” in the first round?
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