What will the San Francisco 49ers do at cornerback? Recent mock drafts suggest there’s a chance the Niners will replace Charvarius Ward in the first round with a defensive back from Michigan or Texas.
The 49ers are in a position to double down on defensive linemen with two of their first three picks, leaving that other pick for an offensive lineman or a cornerback. But if the draft lines up in a way where the Niners only focus on the trenches because a defensive back doesn’t fall them.
That’s why we have free agency, and that’s where a veteran could come into play. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes Stephon Gilmore is a landing spot for the 49ers:
Why he’s still a free agent: It’s the wrong time to be a cornerback on the wrong side of 30. The largest contract that any 30-plus cornerback received in free agency last year was the three-year, $22.5 million pact Darious Williams inked to re-join the Rams, and even that was really just a one-year contract.
Despite playing well into his 30s, Gilmore hasn’t been able to find a consistent home. Even after being named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 as a 29-year-old, he hit free agency in 2022 and languished on the market for a month before signing a two-year, $20 million deal with the Colts. After being traded to the Cowboys and playing for Dallas in 2023, he went back into free agency in 2024 and didn’t sign until August, eventually inking a one-year, $7 million pact with the Vikings.
Why teams should be interested: Gilmore is the rare cornerback capable of playing man-to-man at a high level into his 30s. Between the Patriots, Cowboys and Vikings, he has played in some of the league’s most aggressive defenses. And while he occasionally gets beaten, the now 34-year-old has held his own. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he allowed an 87.5 passer rating and slightly negative EPA as the nearest defender in coverage last season. Doing that as part of a defense that often asked him to cover on an island is an impressive feat.
The Vikings only signed Gilmore last offseason after they seemed to realize they didn’t have enough at cornerback. He was more than worth their $7 million investment. I wouldn’t be surprised if the same scenario happened this year, where a team that looks thin at cornerback and doesn’t love what it sees from some of its young guys in camp goes after Gilmore as a plug-and-play solution over the summer.
The Eagles and Seahawks were the other two teams listed as landing spots.
Let’s say the 49ers draft a cornerback with one of their fourth-round picks or even a third-rounder. They allow him to compete, but this prospect shows he’s not ready. That’s where a player like Gilmore comes in, especially at a price south of $10 million per season.
Gilmore had 11 games last season where he allowed fewer than 40 receiving yards his way. He turns 35 in September, so we’re talking about a stopgap, but the 49ers could do a lot worse at the position. Plus, a veteran could help Renardo Green and Deommodore Lenoir with his leadership.
Gilmore is a solid option, but the 49ers invested in a second-round cornerback in last year’s draft and were rewarded with a quality starter. Getting a cost-controlled starter for four years is a difficult proposition to turn down, especially as the team is looking to shed bad contracts. A rookie makes the most sense financially and in the big picture at cornerback for this team.