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Struggling 49ers CB Predicted for ‘Elite’ Breakout Season
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- Struggling 49ers CB Predicted for ‘Elite’ Breakout Season
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Renardo Green. Getty
The San Francisco 49ers could have 1 of the NFL's elite cornerback units with the young trio of Upton Stout, Deommodore Lenoir, and Renardo Green.
They don't, however, and the problem isn't talent. It's production, with Green firmly in the crosshairs after he underperformed in 2025.
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Fox Sports NFL reporter Ralph Vacchiano believes Green's 2025 season was an anomaly, and put the 2024 2nd-round pick at the top of his list of NFC "Breakout Stars" in 2026.
"He came into the NFL in 2024 with a reputation for locking down college football's best receivers, and late in his rookie season he began to flash that potential," Vacchiano wrote on August 9. "But last season was a step back for the former second-rounder, who wilted at times under the pressure created by the 49ers' lack of a pass rush. That rush should be better this season, and accordingly, the 25-year-old Green could be right back on track. He has the speed, physical style and elite instincts to develop into one of the NFL's elite corners. He just has to put it all together."
Green Showed High-Level Versatility in College
Green, 6-foot and 186 pounds, was an All-ACC selection at Florida State in 2023 and showed the kind of versatility NFL teams covet by playing both cornerback and safety.
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After putting up above-average numbers at the NFL Scouting Combine — Green ran the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds — the 49ers selected him in the 2nd round (No. 64 overall).
"Pure press-man cornerback whose inspired coverage against LSU's talented receiving corps should carry weight in his evaluation," NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his 2024 pre-draft evaluation. "Green is patient to match the release and possesses good agility to recover quickly when beaten. Elite body control allows him to phase double moves and route breaks. He's quick to close and tackle when beaten. Physical play gets him flagged inside the route and he doesn't find the football often enough when routes travel downfield. He can improve in run support, but he's more than willing. Green might need safety help over the top, but his route tracing and catch restriction over the first two levels give him a good chance of becoming an above-average starter outside or from the slot."
Green is an incredible value right now on a 4-year, $6.38 million contract — he's started 21 games over his 1st 2 seasons — but if he wants to land a next-level payday, it has to start in 2026.
Renardo Green Not Only 49ers CB Facing Pressure
The 49ers paid Lenoir like 1 of the NFL's best cornerbacks in 2024 with a 5-year, $88.8 million contract extension.
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He's done little to show he's worth that type of payday since then.
The Athletic's Vic Tafur called Lenoir on the carpet for not playing up to his salary ahead of the 2026 season — the 1st of 4 seasons he's scheduled to make between $16 and $18 million.
"Lenoir wasn't as good in coverage last season, according to analytics, but it's hard to cover receivers in the NFL when the fill-in pass rushers are counting alligators," Tafur wrote on July 23. "He's the 49ers' best cornerback, though it's fair to say he hasn't earned the hefty paycheck ($18.4 million per year) quite yet."
While Lenoir hasn't been elite, he hasn't been bad, either, and most importantly, he's been available — on a team where injuries have become the pervasive, overlying issue, Lenoir has only missed 2 regular-season games since he became a full-time starter in 2022.
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