Niner Noise
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49ers 2019 mock NFL Draft: What if San Francisco trades down in Round 1?

By Peter Panacy

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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ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 01: Saivion Smith #4 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts after breaking up a pass in the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs during the 2018 SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 1, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 01: Saivion Smith #4 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts after breaking up a pass in the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs during the 2018 SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 1, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Alabama cornerback Saivion Smith isn’t someone you’ll hear a lot about on 49ers’ draft wish lists. And it might be a bit of a gamle for the Niners to wait until Round 4 to address their cornerbacking needs.

That said, Smith does look the part. At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, he has the kind of frame one would prefer in coordinator Robert Saleh’s Cover 3 defense. Smith looked better in zone coverage for the Crimson Tide last season, and he also managed three interceptions with five passes defended.

It’s important to note San Francisco’s corners recorded a whopping zero picks last year, so some ballhawking traits are always good to have.

The 49ers are going to hope corners Ahkello Witherspoon and Tarvarius Moore bounce back from otherwise forgettable efforts in 2018. Witherspoon, in particular, struggled early but finished strong.

Still, Smith would be a nice depth piece for a positional group that experience a lot of inconsistency and injury attrition last season.