San Francisco 49ers: Ranking positional needs for 2019 NFL Draft

2. Cornerback

The 49ers have searched desperately for answers at corner in recent years. They have one after signing Richard Sherman in free agency, the former Seattle Seahawk rediscovering his pre-Achilles surgery best, but a plethora of draft capital spent on the position has paid little in the way of dividends.

San Francisco has used nine picks on corners in the last five drafts yet few have had success, with Ahkello Witherspoon’s 2018 decline presenting the 49ers with an unexpected issue.

Witherspoon was anticipated to be the long-term starter across from Sherman but has been reduced to battling for playing time with Greg Mabin and Jimmie Ward. A corner who can hold up under the strain of the extra attention those who play alongside Sherman consistently receive from quarterbacks will be a must if last year’s third-round pick is unable to get back to the level of play he produced in the second half of 2017.

Names to know:

LSU’s claim to being ‘DBU’ has been strengthened by the emergence of Greedy Williams, who is viewed as a top-five player and would allow the 49ers to pair Sherman with a corner college offenses have been afraid to target. In the same conference, Deandre Baker has been a stud on the back end for Georgia and, though he does not possess the size the 49ers typically look for at corner, his playmaking abilities make him a prospect San Francisco would have to seriously consider.