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Why the 49ers Might Draft a Cornerback in Round 1

Technically, cornerback isn't a pressing need for the 49ers. But they could draft one with the 11th pick anyway.
Grant Cohn|
Michigan defensive back Will Johnson (2) reacts to a referee call that ruled an incomplete pass intended for tight end Colston Lovelan (not in the photo) during the second half against Oregon at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024.
Michigan defensive back Will Johnson (2) reacts to a referee call that ruled an incomplete pass intended for tight end Colston Lovelan (not in the photo) during the second half against Oregon at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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San Francisco 49ers

Technically, cornerback isn't a pressing need for the 49ers. But they could draft one with the 11th pick anyway.

Sure, they already have two good starters -- Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green. But neither player hasn't proven to be an elite player yet. And the 49ers will have three cornerbacks on the field for 70 percent of the defensive snaps. So they need another one.

And Michigan's Will Johnson most likely will be the best one available when the 49ers are on the clock. That's why Pro Football Network projects the 49ers to take him.

"Membou would have been a great addition to the San Francisco 49ers, but with multiple gaping holes appearing in free agency, the team doesn’t need to trade up for a specific need," writes Pro Football Network anlayst Cameron Sheath.

"Will Johnson’s physical tools are obvious, but his playmaking mentality and route recognition make him a seriously valuable prospect. He gets the most out of his tools because of his aggression in coverage. That can come back to bite him sometimes, but more often than not, it helps him make plays other cornerbacks simply can’t.

"Johnson is considered by many to be on par with Hunter in the cornerback class. While he wouldn’t be running routes for Brock Purdy, he’d give the 49ers a big presence in the secondary."

Johnson is a good fit for a team that wants to run a lot of zone coverage, a team like the 49ers. He doesn't have the speed to cover the best wide receivers man to man, but neither did Richard Sherman. He still was a great player.

The 49ers might see Johnson as a young Sherman.

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Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

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