2016 NFL Draft: San Francisco 49ers Picks, Grades and Analysis
By Jerod Brown
Round 3, Pick No. 5, 68th Overall
Player:CB Will Redmond, Mississippi State
Height/Weight: 5’10 3/4″, 182 pounds
The 49ers use their only scheduled pick on day two of the 2016 NFL Draft to select Mississippi State cornerback Will Redmond. With Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook on the board, and the 49ers rumored to be enamored, the pick comes as a bit of a surprise as many fans expected the 49ers to jump on Cook once the quarterback fell.
For what it’s worth, the 49ers avoided the dangerous pick, and have managed to add an athletic player in the process. The team may still trade to get into the third round but, as of now, Redmond is the only selection they’ll be making on the second evening. With a young and undeveloped group of corners, the selection of Redmond makes sense.
The 49ers select another injured player to add to the defensive backfield whenever he is healthy. Redmond suffered an injury in 2015 and will work to get back in 2016 but he’s no guarantee. As such, he can’t be counted on to immediately challenge for a starting spot. The other cornerbacks can breathe easily, at least for a moment.
Strengths:
Redmond is a quick defender with an impressive ability to play the ball in the air, despite his limited frame. He excels in man coverage where he can use his aggressiveness to compete and bother receivers. Redmond brings a feisty attitude with him on the field and is willing to engage in the run game.
Redmond has the speed to stay with any receiver and has the hand skills to fight downfield as well. He plays with the attitude of a shutdown corner, despite having limited tape and starting the year injured. If Redmond can get healthy sooner rather than later, he’ll have a chance to sneak into the 49ers lineup.
Weaknesses:
Redmond is slightly undersized–he’s only 180 pounds and less than six feet tall–and he’ll struggle to deal with the bulkier receivers that he’ll face in the NFL. Especially in the NFC West, it is hard to imagine Redmond competing as a boundary corner.
His size and skill set translate better inside where he can use his shiftiness to frustrate slot receivers as he mirrors their speed both horizontally and vertically. Unfortunately, his injury limited the amount of recent tape that he could compile and the 49ers will largely be guessing about how they could use him moving forward.
An injury and inability to see the field make it hard to project the strengths and weakness of Redmond. He’s got to get on the field first.
Why He Fits:
First and foremost, he fits as a Trent Baalke special. Redmond tore his ACL in October and likely won’t be ready until the middle of the season. Redmond won’t be able to compete early but he offers the type of hopeful thinking that 49ers fans have come to associate with Baalke. Baalke has no fear in taking injured players and Redmond becomes the training room’s latest project.
Redmond will likely be penciled in as a slot defender, begging the question: Where will Jimmie Ward play? I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ward move to safety full-time , either with Tartt sliding down to inside linebacker or due to Eric Reid concussion concerns.
The 49ers have plenty of cornerbacks but none that stand out as absolute shutdown defenders. Selecting Redmond in the third round brings in another body to compete but he’ll spend time on the sidelines learning rather than engaging on the field. The 49ers do the opposite of what we expected, while general manager Trent Baalke does exactly what we always expected in selecting an injured player.
Grade: C
Next: Round 4: Cornerback, Rashard Robinson