4 biggest remaining 49ers needs after the first wave of free agency

The San Francisco 49ers were, on balance, pretty active in the first wave of free agency.

Despite the lack of insane contracts handed out, partially as a function of the team's salary cap situation, general manager John Lynch and Co. were still pretty active, bringing in defensive linemen Leonard Floyd, Jordan Elliott, and Yetur Gross-Matos, among others.

While the consensus seems to be that the defensive line has been sufficiently fortified, there are still a few needs on the roster that remain unaddressed as the early bonanza calms down.

Let's take a look at them.

Safety

The 49ers seem to have sleepwalked into a strange position at safety. Tashaun Gipson has been an excellent servant for several years, while his counterpart Talanoa Hufanga has excited the Niner faithful since he first stepped foot onto the field.

Unfortunately, neither is certain to be with the team at the start of next season. In Gipson's case, he's already mused retirement once and currently sits unsigned as a free agent, whereas Hufanga is rehabbing his knee following an ACL tear in the Week 11 win over Tampa Bay.

Mike Silver suggested in the San Francisco Chronicle that Hufanga was not guaranteed to retain his starting job going into next season, too. However, he did also say the team would look to acquire a safety, which so far hasn't happened, despite Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report reporting a visit by former Colts safety Julian Blackmon last week:

Regardless, it would behoove the 49ers to think of adding to the safety position. Even if Gipson continues to play, he likely has at most two seasons left of his career, whereas the uncertainty over Hufanga, given the timescale of such an injury, leaves only Ji'Ayir Brown and George Odum as experienced options at safety.

Absent a leap forward by fringe players on the roster like Tayler Hawkins, the defensive backfield looks a little short of a playmaker.

Offensive LIne

Improving the offensive line is something that we've covered quite extensively here at Niner Noise of late: Jeremy Wohlfart's latest article contains three possible offensive line prospects in his five possibilities for the Niners in round one, whereas, in my last article on this site, I also put up five possibilities for improvement in the trenches.

So much discourse has been applied to this position largely because of its failings down the stretch for the 49ers. Yes, apologies to anyone suffering from PTSD, but there's no doubt that Spencer Burford's now-infamous missed block and an overall malaise in the pass blocking in Super Bowl LVIII have brought these quiet anxieties about the 49ers' protection moving forward back onto the front burner.

Where to improve is more of a question. Depending on who you ask, you could be forgiven for believing that four of the five available positions might be available, with Trent Williams the only player entrenched as a starter. I'm a little higher on Aaron Banks than most seem to be, so I'd say the left side of the line is in good shape (a long-term replacement for Williams notwithstanding), but beyond that, the line in general could use an infusion of depth and cost-controlled talent.

Perhaps if the guard and center market hadn't seen some insane deals in the early days of free agency, the 49ers might have been in for one of the more experienced and battle-tested players, but with that saturation undeniable, it's probably more likely we see some movement there in the draft.

Cornerback

The cornerback position was something of a revolving door for the 49ers last season, outside of second-team All-Pro Charvarius Ward and a solid season by Deommodore Lenoir.

Free agent signing Isaiah Oliver was bad enough to lose his job to a guy who stepped off a cruise, then got cut, while Ambry Thomas continued his rollercoaster of an up-and-down career by being both good and bad in equal measure, not just game-by-game but sometimes down by down.

Going into next season, the hole at either nickel (should Lenoir stay outside) or on the boundary (if Lenoir can play his arguably-stronger position of nickel) still needs a definitive answer, and so far, the team seems to be looking for someone to emerge from the lower reaches of the roster: either a younger player like Samuel Womack or Darrel Luter Jr taking a big stride forward and seizing a starting role, or coaxing a renaissance season (not unlike Tashaun Gipson two years ago) from budget free agents like Chase Lucas and Isaac Yiadom.

Regardless, rather than trying to hit a lucky dip jackpot, as the Shanahan/Lynch regime has been wont to do at times, it would be good to see someone nail down the third slot on the depth chart and finally fix the biggest running sore in the 49ers defensive backfield, particularly in an increasingly pass-happy NFL where multiple teams try to exploit the slot.

Not least division rivals like the Rams and the Seahawks.

Wide Receiver

The final need addressed in this article is somewhat similar to the one that opened it, in the sense that it's quietly crept onto the 49ers' needs board without really being noticed. No one can doubt the talent of Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and Jauan Jennings, but there are reasonable questions surrounding all three, and not a lot of talent in the pipeline below them.

Samuel's contract is a constant source of strife among 49ers fans, particularly as the money begins to accelerate in the coming years, right around the time that some deals, particularly that of quarterback Brock Purdy, will need to get done.

While Samuel is still a fantastic player, and the heartbeat of the Shanahan scheme, particularly due to his yardage-after-catch ability, there will be a tough decision to make on his contract sooner rather than later.

Similarly, the 49ers are currently making a tough decision on Aiyuk, as he heads for a likely lucrative contract, either in San Francisco or elsewhere. As trade rumors swirl around him, and Jauan Jennings enters his last year under team control also, it's somewhat disconcerting to look at the depth chart beyond them and see very little to get excited about.

Danny Gray has practically been in witness protection for his two pro seasons, while Ronnie Bell has yet to make a transition from preseason hero to consistent regular season contributor.

Aside from them, Chris Conley and Tay Martin round out the depth chart, and while they're solid players, neither threaten to move the needle on a regular basis.

Given the contract concerns, as well as durability issues surrounding both Samuel and Aiyuk at times in their careers, another consistent weapon that can offer some juice to the offense in the clutch would certainly be welcome.

For the long term, it may even be necessary.

Read more from Niner Noise