Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Rethinking 2018 NFL Draft big board after free agency

By Florito Maniego

Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers with general manager John Lynch (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers with general manager John Lynch (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
ORLANDO, FL – JANUARY 29: Richard Sherman #25 of the NFC warms up prior to the NFL Pro Bowl at the Orlando Citrus Bowl on January 29, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL – JANUARY 29: Richard Sherman #25 of the NFC warms up prior to the NFL Pro Bowl at the Orlando Citrus Bowl on January 29, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

No. 4: Cornerback

The Sherman signing answered the 49ers’ need of a true No. 1 cornerback. Although, because he is coming off a devastating Achilles injury, Sherman may need some time to fully recover.

Third-round pick Ahkello Witherspoon will look to follow up his superb rookie season from 2017 and K’Waun Williams will continue his role as the team’s nickel corner. With this trio of defensive backs in place, it seems San Francisco already has a good foundation in the secondary.

However, because of Sherman’s age and previous injury, Lynch might still need to find a solid cornerback to hold the fort.

The 49ers can certainly address this need in this year’s NFL Draft. Even though it is doubtful San Francisco will draft a cornerback in the first round, expect the team to find a hidden gem somewhere in the later rounds.

Isaiah Oliver could be one of the Niners’ biggest targets heading into the draft. If Oliver ends up in San Francisco, he would then be reunited with Witherspoon, his former Colorado teammate.

Stanford’s Quenton Meeks is another player who might be under the 49ers’ radar. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Meeks has the prototypical body type defensive coordinator Robert Saleh likes having in his defense.

Because they will likely take a cornerback later in the draft, the Niners may even have players such as LSU’s Kevin Toliver II and Dubuque’s Michael Joseph on their draft board. Similar to Meeks, corners like Toliver and Joseph have the size and length that fit Saleh’s scheme.

Regardless of where they draft a cornerback, Lynch and company know how to find great players later in the draft. The front office has already proven that with Witherspoon and will to replicate its success this year.