49ers Draft Cornerback Ambry Thomas In Round 3

Finally, the 49ers address their defense.

With their first three draft picks, the 49ers took offensive players. But with the 102nd pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the 49ers took cornerback Ambry Thomas from Michigan.

It's about time.

Cornerback is the 49ers' thinnest position -- one injury to Jason Verrett would leave the 49ers with the worst starting corners in the NFL. So they needed an insurance policy. And now they have one.

Thomas has prototypical height, weight and speed for an NFL cornerback. He's 6'0", 191 pounds and he ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. He might have gotten taken earlier in the draft had he not opted out of the 2020 season. But in 2019, he played 12 games and intercepted three passes.

His size is important, because the 49ers current starting cornerbacks aren't big. Verrett is only 5'9", and Emmanuel Moseley is 5'11". The 49ers need someone bigger who can cover D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Green, two NFC West receivers who are taller than 6'3".

If Thomas plays well in training camp, he should have an opportunity to compete with Moseley for the starting job opposite Verrett. Because even though Moseley signed a modest contract extension this offseason, he finished last season on the bench as a backup for Ahkello Witherspoon.

So Thomas can win a job if he's good enough.

Through the first three rounds of the draft, the 49ers addressed all of their pressing needs except safety and wide receiver. And with three picks in Round 5, they'll have ample opportunity to address those positions.