San Francisco 49ers: A few solid options with ninth-overall pick
By Kevin Saito
Denzel Ward
Despite the signing of Richard Sherman, and the presence of returning corners Ahkello Witherspoon, and slot corner K’Waun Williams, the 49ers have need for viable cornerbacks.
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The position is a little thin beyond those three, and even if they do move Jimmie Ward back to corner, there is no guarantee that will pan out the way they hope – after all, there’s a reason they switched him from corner to safety to begin with. Which only reinforces the need at the position.
Which is where Ohio State corner Denzel Ward comes in.
With Minkah Fitzpatrick, likely gone by the time the 49ers are on the clock, Ward is an excellent fall-back position.
At five-foot-ten, 191 pounds, he’s not the biggest guy around. But, as scouts have noted, he plays much bigger than his actual size. With 4.3 speed, Ward is explosive and has elite athletic ability. He can match receivers stride for stride, and can change routes on a dime.
According to scouts, Ward’s biggest drawback is his size, and with NFL receivers getting bigger and stronger, he could potentially find himself getting muscled out of plays. But, he can potentially mitigate that with his superior footwork and athleticism, as well as his timing, leaping ability, and long arms that allow him to get his hands on jump balls.
In a passing league like the NFL, you can’t have too many athletic burners on the corners and Ward could potentially step in on day one and help San Francisco’s defense.