49ers: 5 biggest sleepers to target in 2021 NFL Draft

No. 1: CB Shemar Jean-Charles, Appalachian State

The Niners are going to need to grab some cornerbacks in this year’s NFL Draft, essentially to replace returnees like Jason Verrett and K’Waun Williams, both of whom are back on one-year deals only.

At 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, it’s likely Appalachian State cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles has to bump inside to a full-time nickel cornerback role. But San Francisco has a long-term need there to eventually replace Williams, and the added fact the 49ers have used sub-6-foot boundary corners in 2020 (Verrett included) lends some credence Jean-Charles could fit in there, too, if need be.

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Jean-Charles plays bigger than his size would indicate, and some of his Pro Football Focus breakdown speaks highly to his level of production:

"In 2020, Jean-Charles was more than solid. He locked up everyone he faced and played the catch point as well as anyone in college football. His numbers back it up. He saw 52 targets and allowed just 17 catches while making 18 plays on the ball. That formed a 32.7% catch rate allowed, which is the third-lowest we have ever recorded from a cornerback who faced at least 50 targets in a single-season in PFF College’s seven years of existence."

Jean-Charles projects as a Round 5 addition yet has already showcased some serious shutdown potential at the NFL level.

With the Niners needing someone who can eventually pick up where Williams left off, going after Jean-Charles as an unheralded sleeper would be an excellent route to take on day three.

The 2021 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 29.