49ers 2020 NFL Draft: 3 players San Francisco should have taken

He eventually went undrafted, ultimately signing with the New York Jets as a free agent. But Nebraska cornerback Lamar Jackson would have been a wise target for San Francisco late on day three of the NFL Draft.

To set the context, the 49ers could watch cornerbacks Richard Sherman, K’Waun Williams and Ahkello Witherspoon hit the free agent market in 2021. The team currently doesn’t have a lot of developmental depth behind those three players. And even if it did, reinforcing the back end of the secondary’s depth chart would have been a wise move.

Instead, the Niners avoided the secondary altogether in the draft.

Jackson, 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds, fits the mold for what San Francisco prizes in its boundary defensive backs. He’s on the longer, lanky side and should be able to thrive well enough in zone-style coverage. Jackson was also a bit of a ballhawk, too, registering five combined interceptions over the last two seasons with the Cornhuskers along with an impressive 12 pass breakups in 2019.

While Jauan Jennings could provide some notable help at wide receiver in coming seasons, one can afford to think the 49ers would have been better off going after a player like Jackson instead to bolster what remains a very questionable position group over the long run.