Renardo Green poised to solve 49ers' long-term problems at cornerback

The 49ers have plenty of questions at cornerback beyond 2024, and rookie Renardo Green can aim to address a pressing one of them.

The San Francisco 49ers have a recent history of drafting not for immediate needs for the upcoming season, rather they often opt to grab prospects who'll address needs a year later.

This pretty much summarizes the Niners' plan of attack during the 2024 NFL Draft, including the second-round selection of former Florida State cornerback Renardo Green at No. 64 overall.

Green, who is an older prospect after five seasons at the collegiate level, offers up plenty of intangibles San Francisco likes. He's fast, having ran a 4.49 40-yard time at the NFL Scouting Combine, and has a good physique at 6-foot-0 and 186 pounds.

And he's experienced, too, having played in 53 games for the Seminoles.

Not exactly a ballhawk, Green nevertheless displayed an aggressive play style that popped his final year in college with 13 pass breakups. And while his aggression might hinder his immediate NFL impact, thanks to stricter rules involving pass interference, the 49ers are hoping his demeanor can help fill a void that'll undoubtedly be an issue after the defensive back's rookie season.

Why 49ers opted to draft Renardo Green

The Niners need young, cheap cornerbacks (more on that in a second). But they won't be pressed into starting Green right away.

They were undoubtedly attracted to Green's press-man abilities while also appreciating his versatility throughout the secondary.

Defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen described this during an offseason press conference:

"The cool thing is he’s been doing both nickel and corner and it’s not a lot of time right? It’s a certain amount of practices and hasn’t fully been a nickel. So, he’s really embraced the challenge of it. That’s the best part."

Sorensen continued:

"We knew the movement skill was there and you see it in man-to-man stuff and he gets those too. But just like he’s embraced any challenge that’s anything that’s hard I think he’s embraced and he’s kind of attacked it and willingly been like, ‘no man, I want more of that.’ And that’s really been awesome."

What's the 49ers' plan for Renardo Green?

Green, as Sorensen described, is beginning his NFL journey as a nickel cornerback, likely in line to support the starter there, Deommodore Lenoir.

But Lenoir is a pending free agent, poised to hit the market in 2025 along with fellow corners Charvarius Ward, Isaac Yiadom, Rock Ya-Sin and Ambry Thomas. While San Francisco could aim to re-sign some of those names, the team's current salary cap situation will make it nearly impossible to avoid some turnover.

As such, Green is likely being viewed as a 2025 starter, serving as a backup in year one while the 49ers deploy their more experienced defensive backs in a campaign that'll aim for nothing short of a Super Bowl title.

Green, meanwhile, can be brought along slowly without being pushed into premier service prematurely.

The long-term hope, however, is for him to serve as a starter after the Niners likely lose at least a few of their starting-caliber cornerbacks in 2025.

Read more from Niner Noise