The 49ers are a defense constructed to dominate up front. Their MO since John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan arrived has been to build a ferocious pass rush that disrupts quarterbacks and makes life easier on the secondary. In that instance the bar for cornerback play was lowered. However, in the last couple years the 49ers have seen an ascension from their CBs that has their secondary in a spot to be extremely effective in 2024. In fact, two of their CBs ranked in the top 10 in Touchdown Wire’s rankings of the best press cornerbacks in football.
Charvarius Ward was No. 8 on TD Wire’s list. Deommodore Lenoir landed at No. 9 on the list following his best season as a pro.
Author Doug Farrar had some impressive numbers for Ward in press:
Last season for the NFC champs, Ward was in press on 231 of his 1,172 snaps, ranking 10th in the NFL. And when targeted in press, Ward allowed 14 catches on 34 reps for 6.0 yards per reception, three explosive plays, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
Like all the NFL’s best press cornerbacks, Ward combines physical dominance at the line of scrimmage with excellent transition skills, and the ability to stay in a receiver’s hip pocket throughout the play.
Ward used his press skills to notch his first All-Pro nod after last season while leading the 49ers with five interceptions and leading the NFL with 23 pass breakups.
Lenoir didn’t enter last season as a surefire starter for San Francisco, but his play over the course of the year was evidence of his growth as a versatile inside/outside CB. Via Farrar:
As for Lenoir, he perfectly complemented Ward both outside and in the slot with 257 press reps in his 1,222 snaps. When in press, Lenoir allowed 17 catches on 39 targets for 7.9 yards per catch, four explosive plays, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Like Ward, Lenoir is a bigger cornerback (5-foot-10, 200 pounds) with the transition skills needed to match and carry every kind of receiver.
It’s clear adding quality press coverage CBs is a priority for San Francisco. They signed Ward in 2022 after he led the NFL in press snaps for three consecutive seasons. Press is also something second-round draft pick Renardo Green thrived at in college at Florida State.
Adapting has been something the 49ers have done well on the offensive side, and now it appears they’re shifting their focus on the other side of the ball as well.
Last year San Francisco’s pass rush struggled to consistently get home and impact opposing quarterbacks. If they can improve there in 2024, combined with the amount of press played by 49ers CBs, we could see a significant uptick in takeaways in the secondary and a jump back to the No. 1 defensive spot for San Francisco.undefined
