5 cornerbacks 49ers must pursue in 2022 NFL free agency

49ers free-agent cornerback No. 4: Sidney Jones, Seahawks

One of the plusses of going after former Seahawks cornerbacks is the fact the Niners operate a similar defensive scheme, plus the ability to purge a division rival from its own players is never a bad opportunity to take.

Veteran cornerback Sidney Jones, who came over from the Jacksonville Jaguars to Seattle in 2021, managed to have his most productive year as a pro, starting 11 of the 16 games he played in and registering 66 tackles with 10 pass breakups, all the while allowing opposing quarterbacks a passer rating of 84.3 when targeting him.

At 6-foot-0 and 183 pounds, Jones is primarily going to be a boundary option but has doubled inside as a nickel back. Plus, at 25 years old, there’s still plenty of room for improvement here, too.

Jones will likely be looking to capitalize, financially, on his 2021 contract year, so a team like San Francisco might have to dish out a bigger contract than one of the bargain-basement ones some less-known cornerbacks may receive.

Still, for a player who’s on the younger side with much more to offer, it might be a wise investment that still shouldn’t cost too much in contrast to some of the bigger-profile options available.