Though the 49ers have signed cornerback Isaac Yiadom to a one-year deal, it wasn’t a headline-grabbing move.
It wasn’t even the Bay Area team’s most significant free-agency move thus far. That would be defensive end Leonard Floyd signing a two-year deal with the 49ers.
However, San Francisco hopes Yiadom proves to be one of its more underrated signings. The 28-year-old defensive back is coming off his best NFL season.
Yiadom’s 81.1 overall grade and 80.4 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus were career highs. Opposing quarterbacks completed 50 percent of their passes (22 of 44) and owned an 84.4 passer rating when targeting the former New Orleans Saints defender in 2023.
The 49ers’ front office and coaching staff saw enough from Yiadom last season to believe he could be a significant contributor in 2024 and were willing to bring him in to see if he could fulfill that potential.
“The 49ers view Yiadom as a significant addition and he’s the leading candidate to start opposite All-Pro cornerback Charvarius Ward, an arrangement which would move Deommodore Lenoir into the slot in 2024,” Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote.
For years, San Francisco has been trying to solidify its cornerback situation. The team was high on Jason Verrett’s potential, but the veteran defensive back couldn’t stay healthy.
The team paid handsomely to bring in Charvarius Ward in 2022 and hoped Ambry Thomas would develop into a player who could complement him on the opposite side. Thomas has been unable to secure the spot.
The 49ers are high on Lenoir but would prefer to have him line up at the nickel spot, where he played significant snaps last season. Yiadom’s addition may allow that.
Branch adds, “If the 49ers’ faith in Yiadom’s ability is rewarded, it would solve their issue at slot corner.”
