National Football League

As 49ers reload for another Super Bowl run, CB upgrade a priority

Published Mar. 7, 2024 2:26 p.m. ET

Charvarius Ward has developed into a playmaking Pro Bowl corner on one side of the defense for the San Francisco 49ers.

But if the Niners want to become a championship-caliber defense and play more sticky man coverage — which could lead to a return to the Super Bowl for the third time in six seasons — they need a legit cover guy opposite Ward.

San Francisco allowed a respectable 214.2 passing yards a contest last season, good enough for No. 14 in the league. The 49ers held opponents to just 20 passing touchdowns in 2023, tied for eighth in the league.

The 49ers tied for tops in the NFL with 22 interceptions, and Ward was a big part of that. He totaled career highs in interceptions (5) and pass breakups (23), solidifying himself as one of the top cover corners in the league and earning Pro Bowl honors.

However, the 49ers experienced a dip in performance during the postseason. San Francisco's defense gave up an average of 260 passing yards a contest in the playoffs, allowed offenses to convert on third down 50% of the time and gave up an average of 25.7 points per game.

Former defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who specializes in coaching the secondary, could never find a versatile athlete sticky in coverage to play opposite of Ward on the perimeter. Deommodore Lenoir started opposite Ward, but the 49ers kicked him inside to nickel cornerback in obvious passing situations because the team's projected slot defender, Isaiah Oliver, struggled in coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, Lenior played 345 defensive snaps during the regular season at slot defender.

The 49ers released Oliver last month, but they're so desperate at corner that they brought back oft-injured Jason Verrett, who suffered yet another season-ending injury.

The Niners need only look to the team they lost to in the Super Bowl for how important cover corners are for the rest of the defense.

The Chiefs relied on man coverage with corners L'Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie on the perimeter, allowing defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to dial up more pressure up front. According to Next Gen Stats, the Chiefs played man coverage 35.3% of the time during the regular season. The 49ers played man coverage 22.8% of the time last season.

Wilks played more man coverage at other stops before he arrived in San Francisco last season but had to adapt to a scheme, already in place by Kyle Shanahan, that leaned on zone coverage. That issue, along with Wilks wanting to blitz more, created a disconnect between the head coach and defensive coordinator and led to Wilks' departure after only one season.

Was 49ers firing DC Steve Wilks the right move?

But if the 49ers want to improve the effectiveness of the team's primary use of a four-man pass rush, led by Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead, they have to improve in playing man coverage on the back end.

The upcoming draft is a good place to start. San Francisco has 11 selections, including four in the top 100 picks. With the No. 31st overall pick, the 49ers could pluck a cornerback who could help them right away on the perimeter. With top receivers like DK Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks and Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams in their division, the 49ers could use more size on the perimeter.

"I think it's a good group of corners," NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. "I think I have about 14, 15 with that top-three-round grade range there, which is a good number."

Players who could provide size on the perimeter and make sense for San Francisco at No. 31 include Missouri's Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Iowa's Cooper DeJean, Alabama's Kool-Aid McKinstry and Georgia's Kamari Lassiter. All four of those prospects are in FOX Sports NFL draft analyst Rob Rang's top 100 big board.

San Francisco also could look to free agency for recently released players such as Darious Williams or Tre'Davious White. But the 49ers have limited cap space, so they may have to wait until the second wave of free agency to bring a veteran corner.

As a result, the draft will be the best opportunity for the 49ers to add a young impact player.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.