49ers training camp preview: Defensive back battles rage, but depth is solid

Training camp should unleash great competition among a deeper cornerback unit while the safeties look for Talanoa Hufanga's ACL return.

SANTA CLARA – A priority for the 49ers this offseason was to nail down a nickel back who can smother slot receivers and stick his nose in on run defense.

Overlooked in the process is recognizing how well Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir paired as last season’s starting cornerbacks. When it comes to the 49ers’ defense, so much attention is cast on Nick Bosa leading the front line and Fred Warner dominating at linebacker. The secondary, however, appears deeper now in what should be another championship-contending season.

Here is a look at the defensive backs ahead of training camp’s July 23 reporting date:

WHO’S HERE

Cornerbacks: Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir, Isaac Yiadom, Renardo Green, Ambry Thomas, Sam Womack, Chase Lucas, Rock Ya-Sin, Darrell Luter Jr., Kemon Hall

Safeties: Talanoa Hufanga, Ji’Ayir Brown, Malik Mustapha, Erik Harris, Tayler Hawkins, Jaylen Mahoney

NICKEL OPTIONS

Once contact is allowed at camp, Green will have a chance to prove just how fast a learner this second-round pick can be and whether his tenacious style translates into becoming a Day 1 nickel. If that’s asking too much, the 49ers likely can shift Lenoir inside like last season and deploy Yiadom with Ward as the outside cornerbacks. Sam Womack, Chase Lucas and Kemon Hall also will be studied as nickel backs.

VETERAN SAFETY INCOMING?

Talanoa Hufanga will be eased into camp practices as he progresses well from an ACL repair, and he is hoping to start Week 1. Ji’Ayir Brown likely will make his first season-opening start. But the 49ers may want some cover, in the form of adding a veteran safety lingering on the market, such as former Broncos star Justin Simmons.

Tashaun Gipson, a starter the previous two seasons, is a free agent who must serve a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Gipson issued a statement claiming he did not intend to take a supplement that got him banned and that he hopes to still help a championship-contending team.

EXTENSION DEADLINE?

Both Ward and Lenoir are entering their final season under contract, and it would behoove the 49ers to dole out contract extensions before the season starts. Ward’s Pro Bowl and All-Pro season surely hiked his price tag, as he enters the third and final year of a solid deal that lured him from Kansas City.

Sure, Lenoir proved his aggressive style works both at right cornerback as well as inside at nickel back when needed in obvious passing downs. But full-time outside cornerbacks make more money, and he sees himself as an elite defender, so surely he feels he should be compensated as such.

VETERAN DEPTH

The 49ers invested in free agency to bring in Yiadom, Lucas and Ya-Sin, all of whom have valuable experience and could make strong cases to stick on the roster, if not compete for significant roles. Yiadom looked best in offseason workouts open to the media, and he is coming off a career-best season with the Saints; he has also played for the Broncos, the Giants, the Packers and the Texans.

DOUBTING THOMAS

Ambry Thomas’s three-year career has been peculiar, to say the least. He looked destined for stardom with an overtime interception to seal the 2021 team’s playoff berth in their regular-season finale at the Rams. Last season, he fared well as the No. 3 cornerback (when Lenoir bounced inside to cover the slot), but he also had moments where he struggled, and hand surgery before the playoffs further hindered him. Is he on the outs, or on his way back?