Draft Preview: Secondary

50/50 chance this stadium had a rubber track around the field [USA Today]

Safeties

Necessary Traits: The typical Seattle 3 scheme asks for one deep free safety and one box strong safety, with the free safety needing the range and instincts to play the single-high deep middle role and the box safety being bigger and more of a box hitter who deals more with tight ends and shallower zones.

While some of that distinction surely still exists, we've now moved to more of a multiple look that asks our safeties to be much more interchangeable. That means everyone has to cover and everyone has to hit. So while we can still bring in a limited box thumper as a strong safety, it's unlikely that type of player becomes a starter, and if forced into action (like Marcell Harris last year), they could be in for some tough matchups.

Roster Need: Jimmie Ward just got signed to a three-year extension. While he's an injury risk, the combination of him and capable backup Tarvarius Moore shores up one of our starting positions. On the other side, equally injury-prone Jaquiski Tartt is entering the final year of his contract and there have been rumors of him being floated for a potential trade. While he played very well last year when healthy, this may be a chance for the Niners to start investing in a 2021 replacement who can stay on the field more consistently.

But unlike wide receiver or offensive line, this need isn't immediately pressing. So if a future starter doesn't fall to them, they may add some later round developmental or subpackage players. So the second day is the earliest we're likely to get a safety, with the third day probably being the most likely.

Kyle Dugger, Lenoir-Rhyne: The first of two small-school prospects who have skyrocketed up draft boards, Dugger blends excellent size (6-1, 217 pounds) with impressive speed and explosiveness (4.48 forty, 42" vertical, 11'02" broad) and three years of All-Conference play at the Division II level. An instinctual, explosive athlete, he uses his long arms and big hands to stack and shed against the run and break up passes, notching 36 pass deflections and 10 picks in college (and 6 punt returns for TDs lol). With prototypical size and athletic ability, he really was a man amongst boys on the Division II level, and sometimes he played like he was almost bored, not exploding out of breaks or taking a little while to get going. But when he had to step up against Senior Bowl competition, he shined. He'll need to see things quicker and adapt to the big leap in competition, but has all the tools necessary to become an impact starter in the NFL. [Round 2]

Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois: The second of our small-school wonders, Chinn takes after Steve Atwater, his long-time NFL safety uncle and 2020 Hall of Fame inductee, by being a gigantic (6-3, 221 pounds) hard-hitting force at the safety position. Built more like a linebacker but with cornerback athleticism (4.45 forty, 41" vertical, 11'06" broad), Chinn is at his best as a versatile man defender and ballhawk (13 picks in four years, with at least 3 picks every year). But as a pure safety, he'll need to up his awareness and instincts in order to maximize his considerable physical skills. Right now he gets caught watching and guessing too much, which will certainly make teams wonder if they need a specific coaching and deployment plan for him to be consistently effective in the NFL. At the very least, a cleanup in technique should make him a giant nickel / coverage linebacker / man specialist on tight ends and jumbo slots, but if his instincts and recognition skills catch up to his body, then the potential is considerably higher. [2nd Round]

*Ashtyn Davis, Cal: The rare unheralded dual-sport walk-on who also has top-notch measurables, Davis didn't get to run at the combine but if he had it surely would have helped his stock. Despite his father and grandfather both being addicted to meth, Davis got into Cal academically but things fell through and he wasn’t able to walk-on to the football team. So he joined the track team in the spring, email spammed the shit out of the football coaches until they gave him a tryout, and — within two years — had been offered a scholarship for both sports. An All-American in track and the 2018 Pac-12 champ in the 110m hurdles, Davis has tremendous range with both high-end speed and excellent burst. Pair that with his reckless physicality and strong ball skills (7 interceptions and 19 pass deflections over four years), and you have a high-ceiling prospect that's still developing the nuances of the game. His natural recognition skills seem strong but he can be a step late diagnosing and requires more experience and trust in his reads, and his aggressive nature can get him caught on double moves and misdirections. There are also times where he chases the big hit too much, which can lead to missed tackles or friendly fire. Overall, he's a high-ceiling free safety prospect with a great story, but someone who needs some developing and who you likely wouldn't want manning the back of your defense as a rookie. [2nd - 3rd Round]

Antoine Winfield Jr., Minnesota: Son of long-time cornerback and former Pro Bowler Antoine Winfield Sr., Junior lacks ideal size and length but makes up for it with tremendous IQ, instincts, and playmaking skills. He's a ballhawk, with seven interceptions last year, and he's dangerous on the turnaround, notching an average of 21 yards/interception and scoring twice over nine career picks. He's equally instinctive against the run, shooting gaps and playing in the backfield with regularity, and his all-around play has some Honey Badger-ish tendencies. But his lack of size and length (72" wingspan) are a problem in coverage, with very few pass breakups, and against the run, where he's never going to be able to take on blockers and has a small margin for error as a tackler. There are also durability concerns -- as he's missed major time with Lisfranc and hamstring injuries -- and character concerns -- as he was initially part of the group of players suspended for sexual assault allegations in 2016 before being reinstated on appeal. That case, which led to the firing of the entire football coaching staff, the suspension or expulsion of ten players, and a $45 million lawsuit against the university from said players for alleged racial discrimination and for disregarding evidence that supported them, ultimately wound up in five players being expelled from the school and five -- including Winfield -- being totally reinstated. So if there's any interest in him, the Niners had best do their homework. [2nd - 3rd Round]

*K'Von Wallace, Clemson: Heady player who started 36 games for a highly successful Clemson defense, relying largely on his intelligence, quick diagnostic skills, and competitiveness as a back half defender for the Tigers. Moves well, is physical, and probably does his best work as a slightly larger nickel defender where he can blitz and play the run, but he lacks ideal size and athleticism. He can get out-sized by tight ends or out-quicked by speedy slots, which makes him project more as a subpackage defender out of the slot. [5th Round]

Alohi Gillman, Notre Dame: Downhill safety who uses quick read-and-react skills and strong instincts to close space to the LOS and deliver hits on ball carriers. Is smart, competes hard, and showed better than expected movement skills (4.08 shuttle, 6.81 three-cone) that give hope for his coverage potential on the next level. However, he's more of a smaller linebacker than a safety, struggling when he has to turn and run down the field and lacking ball skills at the catch point. As a pro he projects as a sub-package box safety and special teamer. [6th Round]

*Daniel Thomas, Auburn: Thomas combines rock-solid bulk (5-10, 215 pounds) with good straight-line speed and does his best work moving forward. He's a strong run defender with quick run-game instincts, good burst through the hole, and powerful finishing skills. But when he's not playing forward he can have some issues. His lack of size makes him a liability against bigger tight ends and wideouts on jump balls and he simply doesn't have great coverage awareness on anything other than short, smaller zones. He's a subpackage type against the run who could become a strong special teamer. [6th - 7th Round]

Still the best mascot in football [GoFrogs.com]

Boundary Cornerback

Necessary Traits: For outside cornerbacks, the Seattle 3 System likes taller, longer players who can be physical at the line and tackle. Because they're so often asked to cover a deep third of the field they need to be able to play vertical routes without help (where the size helps) but are less often required to run man coverage and shorter zones (where the focus would be more on quickness). Again, there's some flexibility here because of how we've adjusted our defense in the past year, but we're still primarily a zone defense so anyone who plays DB for us has to be capable there.

Roster Need: Both Sherman and Witherspoon have their contracts up at the end of the year (Moseley does too but we still have another year of ERFA flexibility so realistically he's on a two-year deal). While everyone and their mother says we need an upgrade opposite Sherman, I think Moseley -- who wasn't a starter until mid-way through last season -- is still ascending as a player. Now if the team wants to move on from Sherman, who will be 33 next off-season, after his contract is up then we should add a body to the mix, but I don't think that means we absolutely need an immediate outside starter this year. We have Moseley, there's still some shallow amount of hope left for Witherspoon, and there's still Tim Harris, who will undoubtedly not amount to anything since I keep talking him up. 

While that may not sound like much, it's important to note that our decision to play a Seattle 3 with a wide 9 front means that we're going to be focusing more resources to the defensive line and less towards cornerback play, where you can theoretically draft and develop cheaper players as they're put on islands less frequently. So the earliest I'd want to select a CB is at the bottom of the first.

*CJ Henderson, Florida: The draft's consensus second-best cornerback, Henderson has all the physical traits necessary to be a lockdown press-man defender, with good size (6-0.5, 204 pounds), fluid movement skills, and an explosive burst out of his breaks (37.5" vertical, 10'07" broad). His timed speed (4.39 forty) is probably a shade faster than his play speed, but he's plenty fast to blanket receivers, and his length, footwork, and man-to-man instincts will help compensate against any burners.That being said, there are a handful of reasons to wonder if he's the right fit for our scheme. First off, he's a press-man corner, and we run primarily zone. And while that isn't necessarily an issue, Henderson has shown mental lapses in zone coverage and doesn't show the same level of reading and recognition skills when he's not latched onto a receiver's hip. Secondly, he's not a ballhawk (six interceptions in 33 games). In fact, he struggles to play the ball in the air, particularly when his back is to the quarterback, and will draw flags as he tries to read receivers' eyes instead of turning and locating. While that theoretically could be mitigated by zone play, there's no situation where poor tracking skills aren't somewhat of a liability. And finally, he offers very little in terms of run support, a trait that is more important for corners in zone defenses. Now is there a chance that most of this could be worked through with added experience and good coaching? Yes. But that's a lot of ifs for a player who many people are mocking to us at #13 overall. [Top 15]

Jeff Gladney, TCU: Tenacious press-man and zone defender, Gladney has started 42 games over four years for the Horned Frogs, often trailing the opposition's best receiver. He uses his strong movement skills and long arms (75" wingspan) to get into the frame of bigger receivers and knock smaller ones off their routes. Smooth mover who anticipates routes, aggressively breaks on the ball, and is highly competitive from the intial snap through the catch point. Sticky in man coverage and instinctive in zone, if anything he's too physical at times, drawing flags down the field as he competes for the ball. While he's got quick feet and good burst, he probably ran a bit faster than he is on the field (4.48 forty) and he lacks ideal NFL size (5-10, 192 pounds). While he plays the ball well (43 pass deflections), he isn't a ballhawk (5 interceptions), and has had his fair share of drops. His zone awareness will continue to grow with more reps, and while he needs to get less handsy with receivers, he has the skills to cement himself as a long-term starter at nickel corner or outside, which could prove rather useful as we evaluate our roster's many expiring contracts. [1st - 2nd Round]

Trevon Diggs, Alabama: The little brother of (now) Bills receiver Stefon Diggs, Trevon is a jumbo corner (6-1, 205 pounds) with the strength of a safety who plays the ball like the converted wideout that he is. He's got incredible length (78 3/4" wingspan), which he uses in press man and to snatch passes out of the air with his tremendous ball skills. While deep speed is a very real question mark, he's got good movement skills and short area quickness and could theoretically mask the speed issues with strong technique. However, he does not have sound technique. Since he's a Bama CB he doesn't backpedal, which isn't a dealbreaker but has allowed him to get really lazy in his footwork and stance. And since he is a bigger dude with lesser speed, that can get him in trouble. Physically he mostly matches what we want, and there are reasons to believe he can be an Aqib Talib / Marcus Peters type on the outside, but his focus and approach to the game are worrisome given the position and the potential draft slot. [1st - 2nd Round]

A.J. Terrell, Clemson: Last we saw him he was getting absolutely obliterated in the national championship game by future top-15 pick Ja'Marr Chase. But with Terrell there is still more good tape than bad. He's a super smooth mover whose got good size (6-1, 195 pounds), the strong body control to mirror receivers, and very good ball skills at the catch point. Where you worry about him is everything you saw in the playoffs. When faced with an uptick in competition (OSU, LSU) he had some issues, his biggest one being that he lacks catchup speed down the field and that -- in conjunction with his less than ideal timing and burst out of his hip turn -- really makes you worry about how he's going to play vertical routes in the NFL. He's never going to fix the speed issues, but with his physical demeanor and strong work ethic, improving his hip work will go a long way to minimizing the damage caused by vertical threats. Additionally, shifting to more zone coverage may help him. There's starter ability here, but a lot of question marks for this high in the draft. [1st - 2nd Round]

*Cameron Dantzler, Mississippi State: With good height (6-2, 188 pounds), quick feet, and strong short-area burst, Dantzler has a nice base blueprint for a corner who can press or handle a deep third. He's physical at the line of scrimmage, competes well at the catch point, and seems to have a good understanding of route combos and a natural nose for the football (even if he's only average at tracking it in the air). Despite running the second-slowest forty time amongst corners (4.64) he's done a good job of using his body and feet to stay in phase with vertical routes. He's handsy, will get flags, and will have to adjust to NFL rules. He's a tall, skinny dude, so you worry if he'll be a liability on the edge run game, and he stands up too tall on some transitions, which -- combined with his lack of speed -- kills his burst and is something he needs to clean up as he moves to the pro. All that said, he has potential outside starter tools to work with. [3rd Round]

Bryce Hall, Virginia: A four-year starter with great size (6-1, 202 pounds) and length (78 1/2" wingspan), Hall dominates at the catch point, where he uses his size, excellent ball skills, and basketball background to excel (24 pass deflections in 2018 alone). Instinctive in zone and aggressive to undercut routes, Hall is a ball-hunter, which will inevitably mean he will gamble wrong at times. But he's right more often than not based on instincts, ball tracking skills, and diligent film study. He lacks great long-speed and that isn't helped by his upright transition style. He also missed all but six games from his senior year after suffering a serious ankle injury, so medicals will be crucial and it's hard to say what that entails during corona lockdown. If he can clear medicals and clean up his technique in and out of breaks, he could be a very nice fit in our zone defense. [Round 3]

*Michael Ojemudia, Iowa: Good-sized athlete (6-0.5, 200 pounds) with a physical knack for coverage and run support (but done so in a sublte way, as he only had one PI penalty in 2019). He has good experience playing off-man, keeping plays in front of him and tracking the ball well in the air, but his lack of ideal burst may make him best in press zone looks. Tested pretty well across the board (4.45 forty, 36" vertical, 6.87 three cone), although he doesn't look as athletic on tape. Has the NFL body and has had some college production, but very much a work in progress. [4th Round]

Nickel Cornerback

Necessary traits: Nickels need to be a bit more versatile, as they inherently play more man or man-like coverages lining up over the slot. These players don't need to be as big as boundary corners, but they need to be adept at man and zone coverage, and quickness is a higher priority for them. They have to be very comfortable in space. If they can blitz as well that's a bonus, but blitzing in general isn't something we do a lot of. 

Roster Need: K'Waun Williams' contract is also up at the end of the year and the current replacement for him is some combination of DJ Reed on slot receiver types and backup safety Tarvarius Moore on bigger bodies. Luckily for us, nickel corners often come cheaper in the draft and are often highly accomplished collegiate boundary cornerbacks who must slide inside due to size limitations. Unless we get a player who could play either inside or outside (see: Jeff Gladney above), I wouldn't expect to draft a corner until -- at the very earliest -- the third round.

*Josiah Scott, Michigan State: An undersized (5-9, 185 pounds) and short-armed (71 1/4" wingspan) overperfomer, Scott has quick feet, great closing burst, and good speed (4.42 forty). He was rarely beat vertically in college despite his size and is impressive disrupting passes at the catch point (32 pass deflections, 7 interceptions in 30 career games, all starts). As a tackler he's willing but he's never going to be that good. Due to his size he certainly projects as a nickel, and he should have the athleticism and tape to translate to that kind of role. He's got really solid coverage chops. The biggest question is whether his lack of size, length, and strength are finally too much to overcome on the NFL level, or if he is a nickel corner mainstay for years. Either way, he would be a subpackage player for us as a rookie. [3rd Round]

Darnay Holmes, UCLA: As a former five-star recruit out of high school, Holmes is unsurprisingly a really good athlete. While he only tested for the forty at the combine (4.48), his movement skills were on display in the positional drills, and he has all the athletic traits you need to play corner in the NFL. He's competitive at the catch point, has very good ball skills (28 pass deflections and 8 interceptions in three years), and is dangerous with the ball in his hands (2 INTs and one kickoff returned for TDs). That being said, his tape is just okay. His instincts don't seem great, he's late to recognize and trigger, and he struggles to burst out of transitions due to some messy mechanics and tight hips. Additionally, his height (5-9.5, 195 pounds) and length (69 3/4" wingspan) are red flags and could limit him to a nickel role. Now will he be able to focus more on technique and hone in on things mentally if placed in more man-heavy nickel roles? Or will his struggles staying on routes mean he quickly flounders? A lot of projection there for a mid-round pick. He's a high-upside gamble. [3rd - 4th Round] 

Lavert Hill, Michigan: Under defensive coordinator Don Brown, Michigan's man-heavy defense has churned out nickel corners (Jourdan Lewis, David Long) and Hill -- while significantly less heralded than the other two -- is the next in line. A talented lockdown cover man who was All-Big Ten the past three years (first team the past two), Hill has good quickness, change of direction skills, and ball skills. For his height, he has solid length (74 3/8" wingspan), which helps him in press and at the catch point, and Michigan's defensive diversification last year even exposed him to more shallow zone coverage. But Hill's two most glaring weaknesses bring big questions as to his pro transition. First off, there's his size (5-10, 190 pounds with a super slender build). He can struggle against bigger wideouts. Then there's his top-end speed. While he didn't run at the combine, it's not great, and when players get a step on him he tends to lose body control and get supper grabby in the transition (8 PI or defensive holding calls in 2019). Thus, it is difficult to project how well he  will transition both to the pro game and a nickel role. [6th - 7th Round]