While the starters on the outside may be essentially set in stone, the competition at cornerback is one of the most compelling at San Francisco 49ers training camp, and it is certainly the most crowded.
Behind starters Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir, there is a battle between rookie Renardo Green and Isaac Yiadom to serve as the solution on nickel downs . Yiadom is vying to play outside corner on those downs with Lenoir kicking inside as he did down the stretch last season, while Green is hoping to start at nickel in year one having impressed in OTAs and minicamp .
Ambry Thomas is also a candidate to serve in the role Yiadom is hoping to fulfil, though the 49ers moves at corner this offseason, with the signings of Yiadom and Rock Ya-Sin to contracts with guaranteed money and the selection of Green, would appear to be aimed at San Francisco keeping him off the field after a disappointing postseason last term.
San Francisco also has a nickel with special teams upside in Chase Lucas hoping to earn a roster spot, along with a 2022 draft pick with inside-out versatility in Samuel Womack III and a 2023 fifth-round pick in Darrell Luter Jr.
Luter featured in only seven games as a rookie having suffered a knee injury during the offseason workout program, but his preparations for year two have gone much better to this point.
The South Alabama product snagged an interception during the second practice of camp, after which defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said:
"It’s big because with him it was the injury and then he missed a lot of time and it was like catching up. So here it’s just the progress. He’s got great size, length and the pick he had today was awesome. He just went up and grabbed it. He snatched it. He high-pointed it, took it. And the progress with him is using the size and length that he’s got and he’s been doing that. He’s got the feet for it. He’s built right. He’s strong. He’s willing. He’s a willing tackler. He’ll go hit. And again, just progress with him and you’re seeing it."
Luter's size and length are obviously huge plusses for him in his fight to earn a spot on the cornerback depth chart, but it his willingness to do the dirty work in the run game that could be the difference.
Still, that is no guarantee of him locking down a spot at a position that has gone from being a perceived weakness to one where they have significant strength in depth.
Sorensen added of the cornerback group: "It’s competitive. The guys that we brought in, I think it was about guys have played, but it’s a mentality thing around here. You want them to be, ‘okay are these 49er guys?’ I think I said that in the spring too, and I think kind of everybody has talked about it. We want the guys that fit us, right? Good players. They’re tough. They’re going to play with the violence that we like. They love football. You can see it.
"And when you hear people that talk about it, if you know people, they all say good things about them. It all checks all these boxes. And then when they come it’s like, ‘okay, this guy is us. This guy does fit. He is a Niner.’ You kind of feel like that with pretty much everybody that we’ve brought in. And that’s what’s been so exciting is the guys are working."
The abundance of '49er guys' on the depth chart gives the Niners a good headache to have in separating those at the bottom of it. Luter still has a lot of work to do ensure he makes enough of an impression to be sure of staying with San Francisco in year two but, by making his presence felt early, his chances already look much better.
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