The 49ers’ list of offseason needs is long, and it’s hard to imagine it gets substantially shorter by the time the NFL draft rolls around. More than the depth of their roster shortcomings though is the order in which they’ll address each need. One that figures to stick around near the top of their list is cornerback, but it’s not likely they go that route with their first selection. That’s why finding Day 2 and 3 prospects could be crucial to San Francisco successfully overhauling their secondary.
One player to keep an eye on is University of Pittsburgh CB Jason Pinnock, who Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar identified as a good scheme fit with San Francisco because of his success playing Cover-4.
From Farrar:
Pinnock did allow five touchdown passes last season in 347 coverage snaps (he’ll want to burn the Boston College tape), but when the Panthers played Cover-4 — zone coverage in which each of four defenders are responsible for a quarter of the deep third — Pinnock had that on lock. There, he allowed just two catches on 13 targets for 36 yards, no touchdowns, two of his three interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 66.7.
It stands to reason with DeMeco Ryans stepping in as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator that they’ll stick with some of the zone-heavy coverage they used prior to last season when injuries all over the defense forced them to make some adjustments.
If they do wind up going back to more Cover-3 like they played under Saleh, a player like Pinnock who thrived in zone coverage in college could be a logical fit that wouldn’t require a premium draft pick.
In 30 games across four seasons, Pinnock hauled in six interceptions and broke up 19 passes. He also tallied 54 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.0 sacks.
When the 49ers address their secondary in the draft will depend some on how free agency shakes out. On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine they go that route in Round 1 given their track record at the position, so an experienced player like Pinnock who fits their defense later in the draft makes a ton of sense for San Francisco.