49ers news: Biggest winners, losers from 2021 NFL trade deadline

49ers Winner: San Francisco’s Cornerbacks

Even though they were clean in this department in Week 8, the 49ers still lead the NFL in defensive pass-interference calls this season, prompting plenty of ideas John Lynch could try restocking this makeshift position group at the NFL trade deadline.

A big-name pickup could have been Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard, while Minnesota Vikings corner Cameron Dantzler might have also been a potential target.

Instead, however, the Niners stood pat with their current crop of cornerbacks, meaning the starters will likely be the veteran, Josh Norman, and the younger Emmanuel Moseley with K’Waun Williams staying inside at nickel.

Depth corners like Dre Kirkpatrick, Deommodore Lenoir and Ambry Thomas are also likely safe. At least for now.

Lenoir and Thomas could still fit into San Francisco’s long-term plans anyway, given they’re both rookies. Yet any trade for a starting-caliber cornerback would have pushed the remaining names down the depth chart, and it would have all but guaranteed at least one of the depth players would have been pushed off the roster entirely.

Now, the only shakeup this position group will see in 2021 is if a back-end free-agent move is made.