For the last few weeks, all of the trade talks surrounding the San Francisco 49ers has been around acquiring a wide receiver or an edge rusher. They still might be in the market for both of those, but they may have a new need after Sunday’s victory over the Las Vegas Raiders since cornerbacks Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green both had to leave with injuries.
Lenoir had to leave because of a foot injury, while Green left due to a back injury after he made his fourth interception of the season in the end zone but landed awkwardly.
We don’t yet know the full severity of either injury, although head coach Kyle Shanahan said both were day-to-day.
But it might not be a bad idea for general manager John Lynch to at least kick the tires and see what is out there ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
Cornerback may be sneaky 49ers need at NFL trade deadline
San Francisco had to go with rookie cornerback Ephesians Prysock and Siran Neal, who is usually a safety and is more commonly used on special teams, along with Upton Stout after those two injuries. They have Brandon Codrington on the practice squad, and he played for the Buffalo Bills in 2024 and 2025, so he could be a potential option.
Outside of Stout, names don’t inspire the most confidence, though, so other options might have to be explored. Of course, the Niners could decide to bring back Jack Jones. He was just released to make room for DeForest Buckner on the roster, but Jones was let go after a bad game against the Atlanta Falcons. He at least knows the defense, though, so they might not have another choice depending on the severity of the injuries.
Then there are potential trade options.
Riq Woolen of the Philadelphia Eagles could make sense. He’s with the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that is 2-7 on the season, and is a free agent after this year. Woolen was with the Seattle Seahawks prior to this season and has never lived up to his rookie campaign when he had six interceptions, but he could be available.
Donte Jackson of the Los Angeles Chargers is another name to keep an eye on. He’s a veteran who had four picks last year for the Chargers. He too is in the final year of his deal and may not be a bad rental if the Bolts finally open their eyes and decide to sell after an 0-8 start.
In some sort of unlikely dream scenario, maybe the Niners could swing a trade for Marcus Jones of the New England Patriots. He’s undersized but is also an elite returner, so San Francisco would be getting more than just a solid cornerback. But a deal for him is very unlikely as the Patriots aren’t really incentivized to get rid of him.
If the Niners are unable to work out a trade for any sort of cornerback option, they might also be getting veteran Nate Hobbs off IR soon, so he could fill in if needed as an internal option.
If the 49ers do make any sort of trade ahead of the deadline, the expectation seems to be they will focus on getting help in the pass-rush department, which is probably smartest. Still, the Lenoir and Green injuries are a reminder that depth everywhere matters, so a trade to add a defensive back cannot be ruled out.
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