Niner Noise
FanSided

3 positional needs the 49ers may have to bypass in the NFL Draft

By Logan Stanley

Commissioner Roger Goodell names a pick by the San Francisco 49ers during the 2016 NFL Draft (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
Commissioner Roger Goodell names a pick by the San Francisco 49ers during the 2016 NFL Draft (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – OCTOBER 29: Cornerback Richard Sherman #25 of the Seattle Seahawks intercepts quarterback Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans with 16 seconds left in the fourth quarter of the game at CenturyLink Field on October 29, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Seahawks beat the Houston Texans 41-38. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – OCTOBER 29: Cornerback Richard Sherman #25 of the Seattle Seahawks intercepts quarterback Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans with 16 seconds left in the fourth quarter of the game at CenturyLink Field on October 29, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Seahawks beat the Houston Texans 41-38. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /

No. 2: Cornerback

At the end of 2017, it was clear the 49ers were in dire need of a cornerback opposite of Ahkello Witherspoon. Some early mock drafts had cornerback Denzel Ward out of Ohio State as a popular pick.

But then Richard Sherman fell into the laps of San Francisco after being released by the Seahawks. This significantly impacts how the 49ers view the position now.

No longer is there a gaping hole at cornerback as there was once before.

Sherman, who is coming off a major injury with an Achilles tear, is reportedly ahead of schedule in his physical rehab. The veteran expects to be ready by the time training camp rolls around in August.

What exactly are the 49ers getting with Sherman? One of the best cornerbacks in the game over the past seven years.

Per Eric Eager of Pro Football Focus, Sherman has allowed a 47.7 passer rating when targeted since 2011. That mark is tops for all cornerbacks during that time span. Additionally, Sherman has only had one season where he gave up a completion percentage higher than 50 percent. Oh, and Sherman also has a streak of 94 straight games of not allowing a 100-yard receiver.

But, Sherman is approaching his 30s and is recovering from that Achilles tear. While I cannot speak for the future, Sherman was playing good ball before going down with the injury.

The other starting cornerback, Witherspoon, was a third-round pick from Colorado in the 2017 NFL Draft. There were moments of struggle, which usually comes with adjusting to the NFL, but Witherspoon shined throughout the season.

By Week 8, Witherspoon was playing a majority of the snaps on defense (stats via PFF), firmly entrenching himself as a fixture of the secondary.

Witherspoon finished with a PFF grade of 81.1— ranking No. 5 for third-round draft selections from the most recent draft class. It became clear by season’s end that Witherspoon was the team’s top cornerback.

So, those two have the starting positions locked up. They are both solid options to have.

There’s also cornerback K’Waun Williams, who was inked to a three-year contract extension early in the 2017 season. Williams plays primarily as a slot cornerback, and clearly San Francisco liked what they saw.

While it is up in the air exactly where he will line up in Week 1, general manager John Lynch announced that the team plans to give Jimmie Ward reps at cornerback this offseason.

Plus there’s second-year cornerback Greg Mabin lurking in the background, a player who fits San Francisco’s ideal prototype at the position with his 6 foot 2 inch frame and weighing in at 200 pounds. Mabin spent last year on the practice squad.

To put it short, cornerback is not as much of a pressing need as some may think. Spending an early pick on the position would be unwise, considering they could potentially have four players rotating at cornerback.