Niner Noise
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49ers NFL Draft needs: 2018 cornerback big board

By Jay Marsdale

AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 09: Brandon Jones #19 of the Texas Longhorns congratulates Holton Hill #5 after a touchdown in the third quarter against the San Jose State Spartans at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 09: Brandon Jones #19 of the Texas Longhorns congratulates Holton Hill #5 after a touchdown in the third quarter against the San Jose State Spartans at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 01: Mike Hughes #19 of the UCF Knights and Darius Slayton #81 of the Auburn Tigers battle for the ball in the first half during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 1, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 01: Mike Hughes #19 of the UCF Knights and Darius Slayton #81 of the Auburn Tigers battle for the ball in the first half during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 1, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

No. 2: Mike Hughes (UCF)

The best compliment you can give to athletes is to say that they are winners.

Mike Hughes and the entire 2017 Central Florida roster don’t know anything but winning. After completing a perfect season at UCF, Hughes is now ready to prove himself all over again at the NFL level.

In all honesty, UCF was one of the most exciting teams and storylines to watch in the NCAA last year. Hughes was a major piece to their success. Again scouts and executives are doubting Hughes just as they doubted the entire UCF team.

There is no denying Hughes is a playmaker, and those are hard to find on the defensive side of the ball. He is perhaps one of the faster corners in this year’s draft class, and that speed is what makes him unique.

The 49ers are building a winning team of athletes, and Hughes fits that description to perfection. However, there are some negatives to look at. Hughes is undersized at only 5 -foot-11, and that makes him hard to see as a top corner in the NFL. He fits much more as a nickel corner right now covering quick, shifty wide receivers.

With that being said, every team in the NFL could use a player like Hughes. His ability to change the game on both defense and special teams as a return man is invaluable.

When San Francisco looks at Hughes, it needs to see the players he is going to need to stop within the NFC West. The Los Angeles Rams’ Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods are not imposing, physical receivers, but have burned the 49ers with their speed and quickness. Hughes could be a quick solution to those types of issues the Niners faced in 2017.

Hughes is not going to be chosen by the 49ers with their first selection, but he is certainly an option for their next two selections if available. The San Francisco 49ers are building a winning mentality, and Hughes is the perfect fit to join that in 2018.