San Francisco 49ers’ To-Do List in the 2017 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
Find Cornerbacks
A lot of them. And guys who can cover in one-on-one matchups.
The reason is because Robert Saleh’s defense is going to imitate that of the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle has good cornerbacks, which affords them the luxury of loading as many as eight players in the box on base downs.
Niners Wire’s Chris Biderman described it further:
"The defense, on most snaps, is expected to have eight players in the box and one safety deep. There will be five players on the line of scrimmage, including a linebacker, which is virtually the same as a 3-4 base."
Do the math if eight defenders are loaded in the box. It means cornerbacks are often going to be in one-on-one coverage. There isn’t much room for over-the-top help on either side of the field.
San Francisco doesn’t have a true shutdown corner. K’Waun Williams might be a nice option for the nickel, and second-year pro Rashard Robinson has some promise. But that’s about it.
Tramaine Brock was burned badly last season. Keith Reaser has been a disappointment, along with Dontae Johnson. And it’s hard to bet on Will Redmond, the last of former general manager Trent Baalke’s “All-ACL” picks, emerging out of nowhere.
Ideally, the Niners pick up two corners in what looks like a deep NFL Draft class.