49ers NFL Draft 2022: 5 cornerbacks San Francisco must target

Three weeks into the 2021 season, the 49ers are experiencing plenty of issues at cornerback, meaning these five NFL Draft prospects should be on the radar.

The San Francisco 49ers are currently paying the price for not investing more at cornerback over the last two years.

It was a small but noticeable shock not to see general manager John Lynch go after a corner in the 2020 NFL Draft, yet it’s slightly forgivable given the Niners only took home five prospects that year. In this year’s draft, however, Lynch waited until the tail end of Round 3 to grab a cornerback, Ambry Thomas, before restocking with fifth-round rookie Deommodore Lenoir shortly afterward.

Yet the biggest hitch, and likely the biggest mistake, was hoping No. 1 corner Jason Verrett would stay healthy for a second consecutive season. After Verrett tore his ACL in Week 1, that hope went right out the window.

Additionally, Thomas has struggled and is now relegated to the weekly inactive list after opting out of his 2020 collegiate season at Michigan. While it’s still possible Thomas rebounds in due time, the early results have been less than stellar.

So far, three weeks into San Francisco’s 2021 campaign, cornerback is proving to be a major liability. Lenoir has flashed promise but has also taken his lumps, while the 49ers have scrambled for scrap-heap free-agent additions like Josh Norman, Dre Kirkpatrick and Buster Skrine to help alleviate additional injuries and shortcomings.

Yes, it’s a long way away. But the Niners have to be thinking about using some of their limited 2022 NFL Draft capital on cornerbacks, probably as soon as their first pick in next year’s draft, Round 2.

Here are five prospects San Francisco has to be thinking about.

49ers NFL Draft Target No. 5: Jalen Jones, Arizona State

Although it’s much lesser of a worry than with Jason Verrett, the 49ers are already dealing with injury concerns with their prime nickel cornerback, K’Waun Williams, who is expected to miss some weeks with a calf injury.

Williams, 30 years old, is signed only through 2021 anyway, and the thought of either Deommodore Lenoir or Ambry Thomas sliding in at nickel next year is awfully premature and likely not a plausible option. At least not at this point.

Fortunately, there are plenty of mid- and late-round nickel-caliber corners to consider, and Arizona State‘s Jalen Jones is one name to watch starting in Round 4.

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference
Generated 9/28/2021.

At 5-foot-10, Jones has seen his ballhawking decrease a bit since recording seven interceptions his first two collegiate years, first at USC and then with the Sun Devils.

The pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign likely hindered Jones’ development a bit, though, so his early efforts this year could have a lot to say about his draft positioning.

So far, he has nine tackles, an interception and a couple of pass breakups through four games, suggesting his quick-twitch reactions skills are still there.

49ers NFL Draft Target No. 4: Keidron Smith, Ole Miss

Ballhawking and interceptions aren’t the only quality indicators of an NFL-level cornerback, and there are certainly players who won’t be as highly touted early in the draft but have the intangible skills to eventually develop into long-term starters.

That might have to be the gamble the Niners would take, should Ole Miss cornerback Keidron Smith be a day-three draft target.

At 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Smith fits the mold for a long, lanky defensive back with good speed and some physicality to play at the position. While there are concerns about his quick-twitch reaction skills and recovery abilities, Smith already has 18 tackles on the year with a pass broken up.

Smith might require a little bit of polish at the pro level, perhaps taking a year to fully acclimate.

Considering San Francisco needs some long-term investments anyway, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to make some of those late-round moves and hope they pan out for the better.

Especially if Smith is able to capitalize on his physical attributes.

49ers NFL Draft Target No. 3: Kyler Gordon, Washington

As is the case with Deommodore Lenoir and should likely be with Jalen Jones, the pass-happy nature of the Pac-12 mandates NFL-caliber cornerbacks be more than sufficient with their pass-coverage skills.

While Jones would be a nice day-three addition, the 49ers potentially going after Washington cornerback Kyler Gordon on day two would be a wise move.

Gordon’s ballhawking skills appear to have come around after failing to register an interception his first three collegiate seasons, now boasting two in 2021 along with two more pass breakups.

Plus, the 6-foot, 200-pound defensive back has the ability to press his receivers and stay with them in man coverage, further suggesting he’d be a quality fit in Niners defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans’ scheme.

Adding to the versatility and helpfulness, Gordon has been a key contributor on special teams, as shown in the above video.

Gordon would likely be available no later than Round 3, however, and that stock value could rise if he continues to produce as he has early this season.

Still, if San Francisco is eyeing a quality boundary cornerback, going after Gordon early wouldn’t be a bad choice.

49ers NFL Draft Target No. 2: Myles Jones, Texas A&M

If we’re sticking to the theme of bigger-bodied cornerbacks who’d fit the mold of a boundary player capable of using both length and physicality to shut down opposing receivers, it would be irresponsible to overlook Texas A&M‘s Myles Jones, who has quite the imposing frame at 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds.

True, Jones could add some bulk to his body. But he has both the speed and length to suggest he’d be capable of lining up against some of the larger NFL-level wideouts he’d have to encounter.

There are some questions about Jones’ health, though, and he’s also lacked true ballhawking tendencies, as evidenced by just three interceptions over the past two-plus seasons:

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference
Generated 9/28/2021.

Those concerns could push Jones into Round 3 consideration, but a strong 2021 campaign could easily make him a second-round prospect.

Jones might have to improve upon his reaction skills and instincts. But the physical attributes are too hard to ignore, and he could turn into one of those imposing defensive backs who could fill multiple roles in the defense, either as a boundary corner or as a big-nickel safety in certain packages.

49ers NFL Draft Target No. 1: Trent McDuffie, Washington

Yes, another Pac-12 prospect here. Notice a trend?

Washington’s Trent McDuffie might be a bit of a pipe dream for the 49ers in the 2022 NFL Draft, as many analysts are pegging him as a first-round player capable of sliding into the 20s. But, as anyone who has watched the draft for one-plus year or so can attest, there are plenty of Round 1-caliber players who slip into Round 2.

Sometimes further.

McDuffie likely isn’t to fall into the third round, though, but it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see the Niners use their first pick in the 2022 draft, a Round 2 selection, on a player of McDuffie’s ilk.

Related Story: The curious case of the 49ers’ 2021 cornerback situation

Sure, some might see McDuffie’s 5-foot-11 and 195-pound frame as a bit undersized for boundary duties. But McDuffie plays much larger than his stature would indicate, often using his tenacity to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage in order to prevent them from getting a clean release.

McDuffie has just two interceptions over his two-plus college years, but he uses his physicality and speed to blanket receiving targets, often locking down his side of the field and discouraging opposing quarterbacks from targeting him.

Yes, San Francisco could use that kind of a player to shut down a third of the field on defense, and McDuffie seemingly fits the bill.

Perhaps he slips on draft day, which would be great news for the 49ers.