The 49ers will likely need a cornerback this offseason after Charvarius Ward moves on. Bringing back D.J. Reed makes too much sense, especially if Robert Saleh or Jeff Ulbrich signs on as the defensive coordinator.
We believe it makes sense for the San Francisco 49ers to add a defensive tackle if they hire Robert Saleh or Jeff Ulbrich as defensive coordinator. Another reunion should occur this offseason between the Niners and New York Jets.
Charvarius Ward is an unrestricted free agent. At the end of the season, he made it clear that he was looking for a fresh start. Nobody would blame Mooney for moving as far away from California as humanly possible after everything he’s been through the past couple of years.
Ward turns 29 in May and likely has one last opportunity to sign a lucrative deal on the open market. He plays a premium position and will likely be the best cornerback available. The next-best cornerback on the market just played three seasons with Ulbrich and Saleh.
D.J. Reed was typecasted as a slot cornerback because of his stature (5’9/188 pounds) by the 49ers. They did the same thing with Samuel Womack (5’10/189 pounds) until injury or circumstance forced their hand. Womack played 628 of his 688 snaps on the perimeter for the Indianapolis Colts this season. Of Reed’s 880 defensive snaps, 803 were out wide in 2024. In 2018 and 2019, Reed played 490 defensive snaps for the 49ers. Over 53 percent of those snaps came at slot cornerback.
The 49ers wouldn’t need Reed to play in the slot this time. That’s Deommodore Lenoir’s domain. He spent 61 percent of his time there in 2024. The 49ers gave Lenoir $92 million to excel at nickel for the next five years. Lenoir’s already giving the Niners a positive return on their investment.
Reed turned 28 in November. He’s been one of the ten best cornerbacks in the NFL from what I’ve seen since 2021. Reed has consistently been in the lineup and stylistically plays the position the way the 49ers covet.
Reed finished in the top 18 among defensive backs in completion percentage allowed and pass breakups last season. He also had six tackles for loss. If the goal is to become more aggressive, Reed comes from a scheme that played man coverage at the eighth-highest rate in the NFL, nearly ten percent higher than the Niners’ rate from a season ago.
We’ll do a deeper dive once the 49ers hire a defensive coordinator. Whether it’s Saleh, Ulbrich, or another candidate, Reed should be at the top of the free agents for the Niners to pursue.
