The San Francisco 49ers head into the offseason with plenty of questions including Brock Purdy’s new contract and Deebo Samuel’s trade demand. But John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have more things to worry about when it comes to their secondary.
The 49ers secondary will have some holes this spring as Charvarius Ward enters free agency. A 2022 free agent-pickup, Ward was solid for San Francisco posting overall grades of 81.0 and 84.7 according to Pro Football Focus. But his performance slumped to an overall grade of 56.2 last season due to a knee injury and a personal matter.
The struggles make a return to San Francisco unlikely but a recent draft projection suggests there could be a suitable replacement waiting with the 11th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
NFL Insider Projects Will Johnson as Perfect 49ers Replacement for Charvarius Ward
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah released his second mock draft earlier this week and pegged Michigan cornerback Will Johnson going to the 49ers with the 11th overall pick. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound defender was one of the top corners in the country last season and could be a missing piece in new defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s defense.
“Johnson is a scheme fit, and his size will play well in a division featuring wide receivers built like power forwards,” Jeremiah wrote.
Jeremiah’s assessment is spot on. According to PFF, Johnson struggled in man coverage with a 50.6 coverage grade but thrived in zone with a grade of 75.0. Johnson also allowed 1.14 yards per coverage snap and would give San Francisco a boost following Ward’s expected departure.
The Philadelphia Eagles showed just how important defense can be, pounding Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. But Johnson could be the first step in rebuilding a unit that ranked 29th in scoring defense and but sixth with 5.2 yards allowed per play last season.
After finishing with a 6-11 record, the 49ers will have to solve their offseason to do list and gear up for next season and selecting Johnson could be a big boost for San Francisco’s defense.