Locked On 49ers - Daily Podcast On The San Francisco 49ers

FUTURE 49ERS: Mid-Round Cornerback Prospect Showdown

Mar 20, 2026
Debates over which mid-round cornerback could blossom in San Francisco’s secondary. Detailed breakdowns of Chris Johnson’s measurables, press coverage, and draft range. Comparisons of Washington’s tall prospects and Akello Witherspoon traits. Close looks at Hezekiah Masses’ sticky coverage versus run-support concerns. Discussions on technique, scheme fit, and ideal draft-round targets for boundary corners.
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INSIGHT

Chris Johnson Is A Press Boundary Corner With Rare Short-Area Burst

  • Chris Johnson projects as a boundary press corner with elite short-area burst and smooth backpedal for press coverage duties.
  • He measures 6'0", 193 lbs, ran ~4.44 40 and showed top-10-yard-split quickness among corners, making him a mid/early second-round target.
ADVICE

Draft Corners For Their College Strengths Not Scheme Hopes

  • Draft corners to do what they did well in college rather than forcing a scheme change; use technique coaching not wholesale identity shifts.
  • Eric Crocker advises keeping press-zone strengths (press bail/zone reads) rather than converting press guys to sustained off coverage.
ADVICE

Even Zone Schemes Require Corners Who Can Play Man

  • Even zone-heavy teams still need corners who can play man because zones often turn into man after initial reads.
  • Eric Crocker warns teams to avoid drafting corners who cannot match and run, since NFL quarters/zone schemes require man capacity.
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