There are a lot of San Francisco 49ers fans who disagreed with the team’s approach in the 2026 NFL Draft. Plenty of analysts disagreed as well. While many thought it was a smart move to trade down and get more picks, the Niners may regret ever trading out of the No. 27 overall spot in Round 1.
San Francisco swung a trade with the Miami Dolphins to move down a bit to the No. 30 spot in Round 1. That allowed the Dolphins to select cornerback Chris Johnson out of San Diego State University. Clearly the Dolphins were high on him, and the 49ers may very well end up regretting the fact they were not all that interested in him.
Johnson played four years for the Aztecs and had his best season last year. He recorded four interceptions, two of which he took to the house as pick-sixes, and had eight pass defenses while recording 34 solo tackles, one sack, and forcing one fumble.
He had six interceptions in his collegiate career and five forced fumbles, including three in his junior year, so he seems to have that "Peanut Punch" down.
Many gave the Dolphins a great grade for the pick, and it would not be a surprise if he turns into a great cornerback for Miami. He’s been compared to New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez and Tre’Davious White, so if those predictions come true, he could be a dangerous guy to throw towards.
The Niners knew their secondary was not necessarily the biggest area of need coming into the draft. They probably feel good with Deommodore Lenoir on the outside and Upton Stout at nickel. But Renardo Green is a pretty glaring weak link.
He struggled last season and even got briefly benched and chewed out by head coach Kyle Shanahan during the playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, so he could very well be on thin ice entering his third season as a pro.
Johnson would have been an instant upgrade over Green. He just has better overall skills and seems to be far better in coverage. The ability to make explosive plays is also something that Green has not displayed so far in his NFL career.
The Niners did draft cornerback Ephesians Prysock out of Washington, so maybe he could put some pressure on Green with that biblical name of his. But he seems more like a depth option, whereas Johnson would be a day one starter.
San Francisco had other needs to address, though. While the draft choices have taken a lot of heat, we have to reserve judgment until we see them in action. The 49ers may come to regret passing on Johnson, though, especially if he ends up burning them next season when the 49ers face the Dolphins in Santa Clara.
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