The 49ers have one good defensive back: Richard Sherman.
He shut down one-third of the field by himself last season. Opponents rarely threw his direction, meaning the rest of the 49ers defensive backs had to cover just two-thirds of the field, and still couldn’t do it. The 49ers gave up an average opponent quarterback rating of 105.4 — second highest in the NFL — and intercepted just two passes, an all-time league low.
The 49ers must remake their secondary. Where should they start?
A team that plays lots of man-to-man coverage would start by adding cornerbacks, because they chase the wide receivers.