Did the 49ers do enough at Cornerback?
Short explanation: No, the 49ers did not do enough at cornerback, given that they'll see DeAndre Hopkins and DK Metcalf four games a season. Tall, physical pass-catchers could be a problem for the 49ers coverage team heading into this season.
Prior to the 2020 NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers had very few positions that were considered an area they must address. While they added defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk in round one, the 49ers refrained from drafting a cornerback.
Throughout the scouting process, many draft experts linked the 49ers to a cornerback with one of their first-round picks but, as time grew closer to draft day, it felt as if Kinlaw was their primary target all along. You could make the argument that cornerback was one of their biggest needs, but Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch apparently thought otherwise.
Factoring in the departure of DeForest Buckner along the front four, reasonable expectations indicate the pass rush will take a slight step backwards, causing the secondary to be more fundamentally sound in coverage. Yes, Kinlaw is an intriguing player, but getting younger doesn't always correlate to getting better — Buckner was a second-team All Pro at his position.
Richard Sherman is the least of their worries on the outside, but he isn't the type of player that will travel with wide receivers, as he sticks to his side of the field and covers whichever wideout lines up in front of him.
San Francisco will head into 2020 looking for the guy who'll start opposite of Sherman. Their options include Ahkello Witherspoon, Emmanuel Moseley and Jason Verrett — all of which are better to be deployed as a team's third or fourth option.
With $16.6 million in available cap space, according to Over the Cap, singing a veteran to come into the fold and play alongside Sherman and nickelback K'Wuan Williams would be the best fallout plan.
Ultimately, the 49ers' defense will still rank among the top in several defensive statistics, but masking their cornerback situation in 2020 might come at a higher degree of difficulty than it did in the previous year.
