On Day 2 of the NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers let two tackles go right before them, then selected Florida State cornerback Renardo Green.
Before we address Green, the two picks before the 49ers have to be addressed. Roger Rosengarten, the Washington right tackle they absolutely had interest in, was taken by the Baltimore Ravens, at 62nd overall, a slot before San Francisco.
Then, they traded down one spot with the Kansas City Chiefs, acquiring pick No. 173 in exchange for pick No. 211. The Chiefs took BYU tackle Kingsley Suamataia, a supreme athlete, but a project of a tackle.
That will be the major takeaway. But the 49ers' selection of Green addressed a need at cornerback, especially with Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir both free agents next season.
Green is an absolute tactician at the cornerback spot. He has outstanding preparation that is buoyed by natural athleticism (a 4.49 40-yard dash, and elite explosion). He is sticky in coverage, staying in lock-step with receivers consistently. He had an outstanding game against the best 1-2 receiver pairing in the country in LSU's Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.
The knocks on Green are a lack of size, in a slight frame, and that he doesn't have elite ball-tracking skills. He also committed 11 penalties last season, and can be a bit too handsy, but also had 13 pass breakups. If you watch him on film, you see an incredibly well-prepared corner who knows how to the play the position and will only get better.
DRAFT GRADE: B+
Green is a player I had mocked to the 49ers in my first mock draft at No. 63, and far later in the most recent mock, given the consensus that he could go later. That stated, however, that he could go anywhere in the second-through-fifth rounds given the wide range of opinions on him. He is an excellent fit for the 49ers who should compete for them at outside corner from Day 1. He could also compete at the nickel position, and potentially safety. He told reporters he can play all three positions.
The knock on the grade is that San Francisco did not get Rosengarten, who is very talented, and who they were discernibly enamored with. However, there are monumental concerns about his lack of anchor. That's still a position of need, and one I expect would have been addressed with Penn State offensive tackle Caedan Wallace in the third round. He was just taken by the New England Patriots.
That knocks this grade a bit further, giving the continuing depletion of tackle talent. Still, the 49ers got a bit of value in the trade down, and are fair to be concerned about Suamataia. Green is an outstanding, relentless player who could very well be a Day 1 starter on this team.