Isaac Yiadom, a former cornerback for the New Orleans Saints, inked a one-year deal worth up to $3 million with the San Francisco 49ers. The $1.375 million signing bonus Yiadom received is hardly “starter” money.
Yiadom has unexpectedly good stats while playing for the Saints. He swatted a pass into his teammate’s arms on his first targeted pass of the season, which led to an interception. Yiadom performed like a cornerback deserving of a higher contract via free agency.
A glut of inferior cornerbacks on the market benefited the 49ers. This wasn’t the situation a few offseasons prior. Charvarius Ward has shown to be a wise investment of funds. He was competent enough in 2023 to shut out half the field. He wasn’t even a target for the Kansas City Chiefs in
At the age of 28, Yiadom is starting his sixth season. More significantly, he weighed 190 pounds and played more than 13 games for the first time since joining the league in 2018. Yiadom is unlikely to be Mooney’s long-term replacement due to injuries and league play-related wear and strain.
Since Deommodore Lenoir’s contract expires at the end of this season, cornerback will no longer be an urgent necessity for another year.
The John Lynch-Kyle Shanahan team has not yet used a first- or second-round selection to make an investment in the secondary. Ji’Ayir Brown and Ambry Thomas were third-round picks, and Lenoir and Talanoa Hufanga were selected in the fifth round. From the late third through the fifth round, the 49ers appear happy with the value they receive in the secondary.
May this year be the year of change? It’s not implausible to believe that offensive linemen will be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. You have to draft the best player available if, at pick No. 31, the Niners are looking at CB2 or OL6.
It would be challenging to decline that offer if an opportunity to work with Clemson’s Nate Wiggins were to present itself. In a recent mock draft, NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks made fun of Wiggins’ situation with the Niners:
Nine offensive and six defensive linemen were chosen in this scenario prior to the Niners’ selection.
Wiggins is a phenomenal cornerback with an incredible skill set, without having to pretend to know anything about his past. Despite his 6-foot-1 stature and his 30 1/2-inch arms, he only weighed 173 pounds. It is courteous to refer to Wiggins as slender.
He did, however, run a 4.28 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, demonstrating his exceptional recovery speed. He also keeps his distance from the receiver. Some may argue that his lack of bulk becomes apparent when he supports the run, but as a cornerback, he possesses the essential recklessness.
It is purely speculation to claim that Wiggins lacks play strength because he hardly ever lost a 50/50 ball. He is among the top ten players in the draft, in my opinion, and I think he will eventually be an NFL cornerback ranked in the top ten.
Additionally, there is hope that Wiggins will lose in the first round. Given the talent at cornerback in this draft, it’s unlikely that the 49ers would select a guy who can assist them on Day 2 if they don’t select one in the first round.
A significant obstacle during the NFL Draft is assessing the decline in talent from one position to another. The cornerbacks are mostly nickel corners after the first day. The positional roulette is an additional feature of the draft. Drawbacks
It is purely speculation to claim that Wiggins lacks play strength because he hardly ever lost a 50/50 ball. He is among the top ten players in the draft, in my opinion, and I think he will eventually be an NFL cornerback ranked in the top ten.
Additionally, there is hope that Wiggins will lose in the first round. Given the talent at cornerback in this draft, it’s unlikely that the 49ers would select a guy who can assist them on Day 2 if they don’t select one in the first round.
A significant obstacle during the NFL Draft is assessing the decline in talent from one position to another. The cornerbacks are mostly nickel corners after the first day. The positional roulette is an additional feature of the draft. Drawbacks.
For the player as well as to let us know when they might consider drafting that position. The 49ers have met with cornerbacks Chau Smith-Wade of Washington State and Max Melton of Rutgers, who are ranked 156 and 157 on Sports Info Solutions’ big board or fifth round prospects, respectively. Melton was selected at the conclusion of the third round and Smith-Wade in the sixth of ESPN’s seven-round mock draft.
John Lynch stated that they wanted to evolve this summer, which is one of the reasons they brought in Brandon Staley. Lynch’s argument would be strengthened if one of the first two draft selections were used to acquire a cornerback.
The Kansas City Chiefs recently selected a cornerback with their first-round pick in a copycat league.
However, Staley’s brief tenure with the Los Angeles Chargers suggests that the 49ers are more likely to select offensive linemen than cornerbacks in the first round. Staley invested two of his three first-round picks on offensive linemen, and he only made one Day 2 pick at cornerback, in the second round.
Yiadom’s signing allows the 49ers to select the top player early in the draft. Using a rookie cornerback requires strategy and patience. Trent McDuffie had one from the Chiefs. An already talented defense may be lacking something, and Wiggins could be that something.
