49ers NFL Draft 2022: Live tracker, updates and pick-by-pick grades
By Peter Panacy
Cornerback. Nittany Lions . Tariq Castro-Fields. 221. player. 806.
Round 6, Pick No. 221 Overall: 49ers select CB Tariq Castro Fields, Penn State
Having already grabbed a cornerback earlier in the draft in Samuel Womack, one could have been forgiven thinking San Francisco was finished addressing its needs in the secondary.
Except the 49ers shouldn’t have stopped.
There were still depth concerns on the boundary, as Womack projects to be a nickel corner, and the strong safety spot remains a question mark, too, with Jaquiski Tartt unsigned.
It’s possible the Niners’ third and final Round 6 selection, Penn State defensive back Tariq Castro-Fields, ends up competing for a starting safety job right out of the gate to replace Tartt. But the initial prognosis is for him to be in consideration for one of the reserve boundary spots behind Charvarius Ward and Emmanuel Moseley.
Castro-Fields, 6-foot-1 and 198 pounds, has good game speed and recognizes route patterns fairly well.
Considering Castro-Fields was projected on a number of big boards as a late day-two pick, San Francisco managed to capitalize on some excellent value this late in the draft.
Grade: A