We’ll stay away from an obvious name in the first round and talk about more than a handful of cornerbacks who could start right away for the 49ers in Year 1
Could you imagine the San Francisco 49ers having the opportunity to select Travis Hunter in the NFL Draft? They’d kill two birds with one stone. Hunter would give them a lockdown cornerback opposite Renardo Green and allow Deommodore Lenoir to remain at nickel. Then, on the other side of the ball, Hunter could make fans quickly forget about Deebo Samuel with his ability in the screen game.
Now that we’re done living in La La land, let’s get back to the real world. We all can acknowledge that cornerback is one of the top needs on this roster. As of today, Tre Brown is slated to start alongside Green and Lenoir. Brown lost his starting spot in a poor Seattle Seahawks secondary last season. Based on Brown’s contract, the Niners are still in the market for a cornerback.
It should surprise nobody when we say the 49ers can stand to upgrade at the position. Earlier in the week, we reviewed a defensive tackle in each of the first four rounds for the 49ers. We’ll do the same today at cornerback. Full disclosure: I love this class.
Round 1 – Jahdae Barron – Texas
We’ll stay away from Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, as he’s the “duh” answer in the first round.
The issue with passing on Johnson means you’re unlikely to get another cornerback who presents value at No. 11. Barron is the highest-projected, so we’ll go with him. He’s 5’10 3/4” and 194 pounds, both putting him below the 40th percentile. Barron’s 29 5/8” arms are in the third percentile, which might scare teams off. But he ran a 4.39 40-yard dash, which will make you forget all about his measurables.
Barron has played starter snaps in each of the past three years, and we know how the Niners valued experience in the 2024 NFL Draft. This past season, he had four interceptions, seven pass breakups, and limited opposing wideouts to a 38 passer rating.
Barron was a slot cornerback in 2023 and moved out wide last season, where he played 500 of his 739 snaps. If you’re going to take a cornerback this early, he not only needs to possess blue chip athleticism, but he better have high-end film. Barron does.
We throw around cliches during draft season like “instincts,” but Barron lives around the ball. He’s a lot more physical than you’d expect, and can bait quarterbacks into mistakes. The 5th-year senior would be a plug-and-play starter for Robert Saleh’s defense. Even better, Saleh could fully exploit Barron’s strengths and turn him into an All-Pro caliber player.
Round 2 – Trey Amos – Ole Miss
Benjamin Morrison – Notre Dame
Amos isn’t a flashy player. He’s undoubtedly grabby. At Ole Miss, he played predominant press-man coverage. Because of that, you get to see his recovery skills and reaction times. They are superb, as is Amos’s ability to play the ball in the air.
Amos ran well, but most of his measurables were either middling or subpar. We judge players based on how they perform on the field, not when they run in their underwear. It’s also important to take into account a player’s role. Amos was often left on an island.
Despite that, he allowed a 46 percent completion percentage on 55 targets, good for 4.8 yards per target. He also gave up next to nothing after the catch. Like Renardo Green, Amos may not have a sky-high ceiling like other prospects, but you’d feel comfortable asking him to do just about anything in coverage.
Morrison was going in the top 20 of some mock drafts before suffering a hip injury. He’ll work out for pro scouts in Arizona a week before the draft. Saleh drafted a Marcus Freeman cornerback with the Jets and had success. Morrison excelled under Freeman, playing with the Irish.
It’ll be interesting to see how he tests, as Morrison was as lockdown of a cornerback as you could be. His role resembled Amos’s, as Notre Dame was comfortable leaving Morrison to fend for himself.
Morrison allowed a 39 percent completion percentage on 26 targets in 2024 and a 34 percent completion percentage on 41 targets in 2023, with three interceptions. It gets better.
As a true freshman, Morrison gave up a 31 percent completion percentage on 45 targets, but had six interceptions. During his career, Morrison broke up 30 passes compared to allowing four touchdowns. I understand the injury, but if you’ve watched college football over the years, you know Morrison has been as consistent as any player playing his position.
Round 3 – Azareye’h Thomas – Florida State
Darien Porter – Iowa State
As a Seminole fan, I did not think Green would perform the way he did as a rookie. I’d be more confident in Azareye’h projecting to the next level, which makes getting him at this point in the draft a steal. Thomas took a jump from 2023 to 2024, which you want to see when a player received more playing time. He allowed fewer yards, cut the passer rating allowed nearly in half, and looks like a player who understands where his strengths are.
Thomas’s height, wingspan, and hand size are all in the 83rd percentile or better. Thomas did not run a 40 at Florida State’s Pro Day, but he plays faster than Green. And like Green, he’s a willing tackler. He doesn’t turn 21 for a few months, making his upside immense.
With Porter, you wonder why he didn’t play more. You’ll be watching Iowa State, Porter will make a play, an interception, even, and he won’t be on the field for the next series. It’s bizarre, especially for a sixth-year senior. Porter played all special teams, but most of his work came as a perimeter cornerback.
He’s one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft. Few players move like him. At 6’2 7/8”, Porter had an absurd NFL Combine. He was in the 89th percentile or better in the 10 and 40, broad jump, and 3-cone. There are plays you could quickly point to that highlight his athleticism.
He needs coaching, which is strange to say for a sixth-year player. Maybe Porter is who he is at this point. I wish he trusted his athleticism more. There are enough plays where he loses separation at the top of a route where you wonder what he’s looking at. Still, the highs are higher than most, and his frame and athleticism will have any coach thinking they can turn Porter into a starter in the NFL.
Round 4 – Jacob Parrish – Kansas State
If the 49ers want to take a Jacob for the second consecutive year in the fourth round, I’d be all for it. Parrish is one of my favorite corners in the class. Parrish stood out when I was watching another prospect. Then I kept watching and watching, and came around on the former Hawkeye turned Wildcat.
He’ll fall in the draft due to being 5’9 3/4” with short arms and tiny hands. But don’t mistake Parrish for a poor athlete. He ran a 4.35 40-yard dash, and his broad jump was in the 88th percentile. He plays that fast.
Parrish covers ground in a hurry. It’s almost a detriment with how much he falls back on his speed. The transition from the NFL to college will force him to adjust. He got handsy when playing off coverage. I saw a competitive player at the catch point and physical enough to disrupt bigger receivers. Some may pigeonhole Parrish into the slot. The 49ers did that with the last cornerback they took out of Kansas State. Hopefully, they don’t make the same mistake with Parrish.
Statistically, he was brilliant. Parrish was targeted 56 times in 2024, allowing a 39 percent completion percentage for a measly 3.3 yards per attempt. The three-year junior allowed a sub-50 percent completion percentage in three straight years.