49ers depth chart: Predicting 5 surprise adds to 53-man roster in 2020
By Peter Panacy
No. 5: 49ers Cornerback Dontae Johnson
The Niners didn’t add any cornerbacks via the 2020 NFL Draft, which was a bit of a shock considering the class’ depth and the fact Richard Sherman, K’Waun Williams, Emmanuel Moseley and Ahkello Witherspoon are all going to be free agents next season. True, the 49ers inked the undrafted DeMarkus Acy, but he has to be viewed as developmental depth at this point in his career.
So there’s some sense San Francisco would add journeyman corner Dontae Johnson who was signed and released by the 49ers three times in 2019 before joining back on with a one-year deal early in 2020.
Sounds like Johnson was quite literally the 53rd man on the team’s 53-man roster last year.
At any rate, Johnson has veteran’s experience and more than enough familiarity with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s scheme. Remember, Johnson was a 16-game starter with the Niners back in 2017.
True, Johnson isn’t a long-term option at this stage in his career. But with more than a few depth question marks at the position, and provided Johnson plays well enough during camp, it wouldn’t be overly shocking to see Johnson make the cut.
It would be a surprise, though.