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PFF position rankings highlight potentially huge problem for 49ers
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- PFF position rankings highlight potentially huge problem for 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers head into the 2026 season without a single cornerback ranked among Pro Football Focus's top 32 at the position, a notable gap for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
Many saw the secondary as the 49ers' biggest weakness heading into the season, and PFF's rankings didn't do much to quell those concerns, given who the likely starters will be in 2026.
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Deommodore Lenoir , the presumptive No. 1 corner, took a step back in 2025, a development PFF's Bradley Locker flagged as one of the make-or-break storylines for contenders this season. Lenoir started all 17 games but finished with 61 tackles, his lowest total in four seasons as a starter, along with two interceptions and three pass breakups. He allowed a 104.0 passer rating when targeted and earned just a 60.7 overall grade, ranking 65th among 114 qualified cornerbacks. His coverage grade dropped to 65.7 after posting marks above 74 in each of the previous two seasons, and his run-defense grade fell to a career-low 44.3. He was also flagged a career-high 10 times.
Opposite Lenoir, Renardo Green struggled through his second season , finishing with seven passes defensed and no interceptions while grading 93rd overall among qualified corners, including a run-defense grade in the 65th percentile. Green now faces real competition from offseason addition Jack Jones , who started 16 of 17 games for the Dolphins last season with 77 tackles, six passes defensed and an interception, and graded out 67th overall with a run-defense mark that ranked 15th at the position.
The bright spot is slot corner Upton Stout , a 2025 third-round pick who earned NFL.com All-Breakout Team recognition from analyst Bucky Brooks. Stout played 593 defensive snaps as a rookie, finishing third on the team with 82 tackles, plus four tackles for loss, five passes defensed, two quarterback hits, a forced fumble and a sack.
Collectively, San Francisco 's cornerback unit of Lenoir, Green and Stout graded as PFF's 28th-ranked group in football last season , with the 25th-ranked team coverage grade. The 49ers finished 25th in passing yards allowed.
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With Fred Warner , Nick Bosa and Dre Greenlaw returning and Raheem Morris now running the defense, San Francisco is banking on scheme and continuity to lift a cornerback room that, individually, has yet to produce a top-32 name entering 2026.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: PFF position rankings highlight potentially huge problem for 49ers
