Niner Noise
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2018 NFL Draft: Round 1 prospect big board for the 49ers

By Peter Panacy

Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 02: Denzel Ward #12 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates an interception against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half during the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 02: Denzel Ward #12 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates an interception against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half during the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Cornerback

The 49ers are going to need another starting-caliber cornerback next season to pair with the rookie, Ahkello Witherspoon.

San Francisco’s No. 2 cornerback, Dontae Johnson, is headed towards free agency in 2017. And his 42.4 Pro Football Focus overall grade, prior to Week 14, suggests the Niners may want to move on anyway.

Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s Cover 3, single-high safety scheme mandates good coverage corners, who can handle one-on-one duties well. The lack of over-the-top help, at times, means any draft target will need to excel in staying with his receiver in the open field.

Round 1 Cornerback Big Board

  1. Denzel Ward, Ohio State
  2. Donte Jackson, LSU
  3. Joshua Jackson, Iowa
  4. Isaiah Oliver, Colorado
  5. Jaire Alexander, Louisville

The 2018 NFL Draft class is pretty thin at cornerback until the middle rounds, making an early pick here for the 49ers a little tough.

Former Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore is having a tremendous year for the New Orleans Saints, and the next in line could easily be Denzel Ward.

At 5-foot-10, Ward is a little undersized for the position, and he’s not exactly a ballhawking-type defensive back — something the 49ers have lacked for some time now. But his coverage skills are, perhaps, the best in college football, making him an easy first-round selection. His 15 pass breakups are worth pointing out.

There are a number of late-Round 1 prospects worth looking at, though. LSU’s Donte Jackson could slip into pick Nos. 20 through 32, and Iowa’s Joshua Jackson is on the rise.

Or the Niners could go with an all-Colorado starting-corner crop, selecting Isaiah Oliver, whose 6-foot-1 frame and 12 pass breakups after 10 games would spark a nice tandem with Witherspoon.