San Francisco

Niners Could Trade Down and Still Pick Up Fine Cornerback

Pro Football Focus sees the 49ers' greatest need at cornerback, and LSU's speedy Donte Jackson could be a good fit

With just days to go before the NFL draft, almost every 49ers fan knows the most likely suspects for the Niners to take at No. 9 overall. Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith, Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson and Virginia Tech linebacker Trumaine Edmunds have been the headliners in recent weeks.

But the analytic website Pro Football Focus has a very different – and specific – scenario it believes could play out, and that’s the 49ers trading down out of their ninth position to select 17th, getting the Chargers’ first-round pick plus a second-round pick, No. 48 overall, that would allow them to add a cornerback in Round 1 plus another top-50 player.

Pro Football Focus makes the argument that San Francisco’s greatest need is in pass coverage, and at No. 17 it could select cornerback Donte Jackson of LSU.

“Aside from quarterback play, coverage stands as the most powerful predictor of winning in the NFL and the 49ers made the lowest rate of positively graded coverage plays in 2017 and the second-highest rate of negatively graded plays in coverage,” wrote PFF’s George Chahrouri. “We recently found that targeting the slot is actually a more lucrative play for offenses than targeting players lined up on the outside. Jackson surrendered a passer rating of just 50.7 on 158 slot-coverage snaps (seventh of 106 in the class) and ran a 4.32 40-yard dash, making him an excellent fit for a San Francisco team that allowed a 101.9 passer rating to players lined up in the slot last year.”

Jackson is on the small side at 5-foot-10 and 178 pounds, but Lance Zierlein of NFL.com notes in his scouting report that Jackson has “exceptional speed” and was a state champ in the 100 and 200 meters. He was second-team all-SEC in 2017 with an interception, 10 pass breakups and 49 tackles, including 3½ for loss.

In fact, PFF also has the 49ers selected a cornerback with its additional pick at No. 48, Carlton Davis of Auburn.

That seems a bit out of line because so many other needs to be filled on the roster – linebacker, edge rusher, guard, wide receiver – and with Richard Sherman and Ahkello Witherspoon already ticketed to start.

But, it won’t be long until 49ers fans find out. San Francisco will make its first-round pick Thursday, with the draft set to continue Friday and Saturday.

Contact Us