The San Francisco 49ers’ free agency moves might not have generated a ton of headlines, but they have put them in a position to go in almost any direction in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Having focused their efforts primarily on a series of smart signings on the defensive side of the ball, the 49ers have very few obvious needs ahead of next month’s draft.
The offensive line stands as the area of the team still in clear need of addressing, with the 49ers’ lacking convincing long-term options at both right tackle and right guard. Yet the draft is as much about building on strengths as fixing weaknesses, and Travis May’s latest mock draft for A to Z Sports following the first wave of free agency has the 49ers adding to a position group that is even stronger as a result of their work on the open market.
The 49ers select Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry 31st overall
San Francisco made an astute addition to its secondary in free agency by reportedly signing Isaac Yiadom to a one-year contract.
Last season for the New Orleans Saints, Yiadom produced a career year in which he racked up 14 pass breakups and, per Sports Info Solutions, gave up a completion percentage of just 38.5%, tied for the fourth-best among cornerbacks with at least 25 targets.
Yiadom’s success came at outside corner, with his arrival seemingly one designed with the idea of him playing that spot on nickel downs to allow Deommodore Lenoir to kick inside to the slot, as he did during the second half of the season and the Niners’ first two playoff games, in mind.
Having an experienced player to fulfil that role might appear to take the 49ers out of the cornerback business, at least in the first round.
But in his mock, May. has the 49ers taking Alabama star McKinstry in the first round, giving San Francisco one of the best corner prospects in the class, who would almost certainly be expected to have a prominent role year one.
An embarrassment of riches
Going with a cornerback might seem an odd move for the Niners considering their issues on the offensive line, but there’s certainly a strong argument to be made for stacking the deck in the secondary.
In Ward and Lenoir, the 49ers have one of the best outside corner duos in the NFL, but the depth behind them is shaky. That was illustrated by what happened in the playoffs, when Ambry Thomas’ struggles led the 49ers to bench him and keep Lenoir on the outside on nickel downs with veteran Logan Ryan playing the slot.
The reality for the Niners is that, for a while, they have long since been an injury to Ward or Lenoir away from corner being a substantial problem.
Yiadom’s signing helps and the addition of McKinstry, with whom the 49ers met formally during the Combine, would not only provide the San Francisco defense with a pro-ready prospect at a premium position, but also give the Niners vital extra protection behind their top two, with the maddeningly inconsistent Thomas likely in line to be fifth string in such a scenario.
But, before even looking at what McKinstry offers on the field, there’s another benefit to consider.
Planning for the future
The draft is all about balance. Teams want players who can contribute now, but they also need to find prospects who can help them address needs that on the horizon in the next offseason.
Both Ward and Lenoir are free agents next offseason and, though the salary cap continues to increase year on year, the Niners may find it difficult to hang on to both.
As such, drafting a cornerback in the first round such as McKinstry would be an extremely prudent move by the 49ers, who would have him for five years on an affordable rookie contract, minimizing the pain of potentially having to say farewell to to one of Ward or Lenoir.
Drinking the Kool-Aid
Forgive the obvious and overdone use of play-on words, but when studying McKinstry’s tape, there’s every reason to believe he would be an outstanding fit for the 49er secondary.
Though he was almost exclusively an outside corner at Alabama, McKinstry has a skill set that could allow him to operate inside and out at the next level. He is an extremely impressive athlete who is consistently able to produce tight coverage through both lower-body flexibility and physicality.
His stop-start quickness allowing him to defend comebacks, curls and double moves effectively, McKinstry is a scheme-diverse defender who plays zone with the same aptitude he displays in man.
Kool-Aid starts undercutting this route before the receiver is even properly into his break. pic.twitter.com/AduloDFadA
— Nicholas McGee (@nicholasmcgee24) March 17, 2024
McKinstry plays with outstanding eyes to the ball in zone, showing an innate understanding of how to read both the quarterbacks and the routes of the receivers to adjust his assignment accordingly, with his prowess in this regard enabling him to regularly take away several throwing windows on the same play.
When he breaks on the ball, McKinstry demonstrates superb read-and-react quickness, getting great drive on the ball to make plays at the catch point.
Making game-changing plays at the catch point is an area where McKinstry can improve, having only recorded two interceptions in college. However, across his final two seasons, he had 22 pass breakups.
Excellent work by Kool-Aid in reacting quickly to the route into the flat by the H-back. Gets great drive on the ball again. pic.twitter.com/Aypa6xBZCZ
— Nicholas McGee (@nicholasmcgee24) March 17, 2024
There are also some concerns about McKinstry’s long speed, while he has proven vulnerable to receivers who can win with change of direction quickness at the top of the route.
Still, corners with his level of polish at this point in their career are hard to find and, though the expectation will probably be for the 49ers to pick a lineman in the first round, the opportunity to stack the secondary with the selection of McKinstry would be a very tempting one.
Selecting McKinstry would leave the Niners with a headache in finding ways to get each of their top four corners, of which Yiadom would also likely be a part, enough playing time. Yet that is a far better headache to have than worries caused by a lack of trustworthy depth at a premium position.
Indeed, it is a pick that would make the 49ers feel a lot better about both the present and the future in the defensive backfield and, while passing up a first-round tackle would raise some serious questions about their roster building in the trenches, it is easy to see why they could be enticed to do so in favor of picking a cornerback prospect with a high floor and a similarly lofty ceiling at the pro level.
