Niner Noise
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NFL Free Agency: Laying out a plan for the 49ers

By Logan Stanley

FOXBOROUGH, MA - JANUARY 13: Dion Lewis #33 of the New England Patriots carries the ball in the second quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 13, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - JANUARY 13: Dion Lewis #33 of the New England Patriots carries the ball in the second quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 13, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 06: Trumaine Johnson #22 of the Los Angeles Rams reacts during the NFC Wild Card Playoff Game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Los Angeles Coliseum on January 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 06: Trumaine Johnson #22 of the Los Angeles Rams reacts during the NFC Wild Card Playoff Game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Los Angeles Coliseum on January 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

No. 4: Cornerback Trumaine Johnson

PFF Grade: 74.3

Spotrac: 5 years, $68.5 million — $13.7 million annually

Cap space left: $66.1 million

It is still early on, but it appears that San Francisco found a starting cornerback in the 2017 Draft with third-round Ahkello Witherspoon. The rookie displayed flashes of true shut down ability, and has overall shown to be a competent player at the position.

Witherspoon graded out at 81.1 for PFF, which was among the highest for 2017 third-round draft selections. While Witherspoon serves as a reason for optimism moving forward, there is still work to be done. The 49ers are going to need a player opposite of Witherspoon.

Enter Trumaine Johnson. The sixth-year player would be an immediate upgrade to the secondary, and also would be the final piece to completing this unit. Johnson led the Los Angeles Rams with 14 pass breaks up and also recored two interceptions in 2017.

The veteran cornerback is obviously a valued commodity for the Rams; the team has franchise tagged him in consecutive seasons and general manager Les Snead recently said he can see a scenario where Johnson returns.

With Johnson in the mix, the 49ers secondary would look like this:

—Left cornerback: Trumaine Johnson

—Nickel cornerback: K’Waun Williams

—Right cornerback: Ahkello Witherspoon

—Strong safety: Jaquiski Tartt

—Free safety: Adrian Colbert/Jimmie Ward

In my eyes, that is certainly a respectable unit. This group is one player away from seriously elevating its status.

  • Players I also like: Rashaan Melvin, Indianapolis Colts; Nickell Robey-Coleman, Los Angeles Rams; E.J. Gaines, Buffalo Bills.