San Francisco 49ers: Top 5 NFL draft targets after free agency moves

49ers NFL Draft Target No. 1: Cornerback Patrick Surtain II, Alabama

Yes, Caleb Farley could be in play for the Niners at No. 12 overall. And there’s a lot to like about his game, particularly that 6-foot-2 and 207-pound frame looking natural and fluid in motion, indicative of a true shutdown cornerback at the pro level.

But Farley sat out all of 2020, and the 2018 and 2019 seasons are the last bits of game tape on him. And he essentially didn’t stand out as a top NFL Draft pick until 2019, prompting some minor questions whether or not he’ll live up to his lofty expectations.

More from SF 49ers Draft

• Predicting 49ers NFL Draft picks by looking at final mocks
• DraftKings NFL Draft Promo – Win $150 Guaranteed on Any $5 Bet 
• 2023 NFL Draft: EDGE Byron Young could be impact player for 49ers
• 5 low-key NFL Draft options for 49ers who are flying under the radar
• 2023 mock NFL Draft 3.0: Final 11th-hour edition (with trades)

Perhaps.

If San Francisco wants a much more surefire plug-and-play cornerback with plenty of experience, Patrick Surtain II is the name.

Surtain, a three-year starter for Alabama, is probably the more pro-ready of all three corners suggested to go in Round 1 of the draft this year. And like Farley, Surtain’s 6-foot-2, 202-pound frame typifies what the 49ers have done with their boundary cornerbacks under now-New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh.

Even if the Niners retain most of their veteran corners, getting someone like Surtain to play right away and develop into a true CB1 candidate would be, perhaps, the smartest move John Lynch could make when San Francisco’s number is called first this April.