Niners Nation
The 49ers had success drafting a cornerback from Florida State in the second round last year. Here, they go back to the well in free agency with Asante Samuel Jr.
The San Francisco 49ers are expected to lose veteran cornerback and former All-Pro Charvarius Ward in free agency next month. That opens the door and a position of need at a premium position.
Renardo Green and Deommodore Lenoir make two of the three cornerbacks, but we’ve seen opposing offenses pick on a weak link in the secondary. That’s not what Robert Saleh is looking for.
ESPN’s Matt Bowen came up with a top 50 free agents list and believes he found Ward’s replacement:
31. Asante Samuel Jr., CB
Best team fit: San Francisco 49ers
A shoulder injury limited Samuel to four games last season, but he has the traits to produce at a position of need in Robert Saleh’s 49ers defense. Charvarius Ward is a free agent, meaning there could be a hole at corner. Samuel has a playmaking mentality, with the foot quickness and sudden closing speed to break on the ball in zone and man looks.
The 49ers found success in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft by selecting a Florida State cornerback. Samuel Jr. was also selected in the second round and is a former Seminole from the 2021 NFL Draft.
In 2023, Sameul Jr. started 16 games and played in over 1,050 snaps — over 1,000 of those came on the perimeter. He was targeted 66 times, allowing a completion percentage of 56 percent, with 15 pass breakups, two interceptions, and a pair of touchdowns allowed.
Statistically, Samuel Jr. was better in 2022. He was targeted 12 more times and allowed four more receptions, but his completion percentage dropped by four percentage points. More importantly, Samuel Jr.’s yards per target was nearly 2.5 yards lower in 2022.
This past season, a recurrence of “stinger symptoms” prevented Samuel Jr. from playing much, as he went on the Injured Reserve in Week 6. Samuel Jr. said not only did his shoulder injury get worse this past season due to contact in practice, but it’s a lifelong issue. Since he was a draft pick of the previous Los Angeles Chargers regime, it makes sense for him to walk as a free agent.
But if there are shoulder concerns, the last thing the 49ers want is to have to rely on a backup for an extended period.
Plus, in today’s NFL, cornerbacks have to tackle. Samuel Jr. might be gunshy when it comes to tackling if he’s concerned about his shoulder. Furthermore, he has objectively been a subpar tackler since the Chargers drafted him. In 2023, Samuel Jr. had 27 broken/missed tackles. That’s good for 28.7 percent of the time, which is Talanoa Hufanga territory from this past season. Even in limited action this past season, Samuel Jr was as high as 35 percent missed tackles. As a rookie, it was 31.1 percent....
