Remaking of 49ers’ secondary begins with free safety

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. But, the 49ers don’t play much man to man. They don’t chase. They mostly play three-deep zone coverage (Cover 3), which looks like an outfield. The cornerbacks are the corner outfielders, and the free safety is the centerfielder.

In Cover 3, the free safety is the most important defensive back, because he sees the most action. Any defense that plays Cover 3 better have an excellent free safety who intercepts passes.

The 49ers don’t have one. They have Adrian Colbert and Jimmie Ward, and neither intercepted a pass the past two seasons. Ward will be a free agent this offseason, and the 49ers probably won’t re-sign him.

The 49ers could sign future Hall of Fame free safety Earl Thomas. But, he’ll be 30 in May, has suffered season-ending leg fractures two of the past three seasons, and the Seattle Seahawks don’t want him anymore, despite having more than ?$50 million in cap space. They want younger players. Likewise, 49ers general manager John Lynch should draft a free safety.

Here is a look at which free safeties the 49ers will have to keep an eye on this week at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis:

Nasir Adderley, Delaware

Adderley intercepted 11 passes the past three seasons in the FCS (formerly Division II), and played both free safety and cornerback.

Adderley has the range to cover lots of grass as the centerfielder in the 49ers’ Cover 3 scheme, and is considered one of the best safeties attending the combine. If the 49ers want him, they’ll have to take him with their second-round pick. They pick fourth in Round 2.

The only knock against Adderley is his size - he’s only 195 pounds. He looks more like a cornerback than a safety. NFL.com says he “absorbs more contact than he dishes out,” which is Jimmie Ward’s problem. Ward is a hard-hitting 195-pound safety who has suffered four season-ending injuries in five seasons. The 49ers should look closely at Adderley’s medical file during the Combine to determine if he’s durable.

Juan Thornhill, Virginia

Thornhill intercepted 13 passes the past three seasons, and played both free safety and cornerback. At the Senior Bowl, he was the starting free safety for the South team, whose defensive coordinator was the 49ers’ Robert Saleh.

Thornhill certainly is big enough to play free safety in the NFL - he’s 6-foot, 202 pounds. But, he’s not particularly fast. He makes plays by relying on his instincts, reading the quarterback’s eyes and breaking early on throws.

The 49ers typically prefer fast free safeties, ones who run the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds or better. Thornhill’s time probably will be closer to 4.6 seconds, which is why he should be available in Round 3 or Round 4.

The 49ers must decide if they want another fast free safety like Ward who rarely takes the ball away from the offense, or a slower free safety who’s a playmaker, such as Thornhill. They shouldn’t pass on Thornhill if he’s available in the fourth round. The 49ers pick second in Round 4.

Darnell Savage Jr.,?Maryland

Savage recorded eight interceptions the past three seasons, including four interceptions in 2018.

Savage is big enough to play free safety - he’s 5-11, 199 pounds. And even though he isn’t as instinctive as Thornhill, Savage runs faster and hits harder. NFL.com says he has “makeup speed to chase down the throw,” and “good radar to seek and tackle on the move.”

Draft experts currently project Savage to be a fourth-round pick. But, if he runs faster than a 4.55 at the Combine, some team could take him much higher than Round 4.

Lukas Denis, Boston College

Denis recorded nine interceptions the past three seasons, including seven interceptions in 2017, his first season as a free safety. He played cornerback in 2015 and 2016.

In 2018, Denis didn’t play well. He intercepted just one pass, broke up only two and did not receive an invitation to the Senior Bowl. But he will attend the combine.

Denis is built like a cornerback - he’s 5-11, 185 pounds. He must add bulk and strength before he can play free safety in the NFL, which is why teams probably won’t draft him before Round 5. The 49ers don’t own a fifth-round pick, but they have two sixth-rounders, and can trade up for Denis if they like him.

Mike Edwards, Kentucky

Edwards intercepted nine passes the past three seasons, and broke up 21. Edwards clearly has the instincts of a playmaker, and he’s big enough to play free safety at 5-11, 204 pounds. Scouts wonder if he’s fast enough to track down the ball and make plays in the NFL.

Unfortunately for the 49ers, they won’t know just how fast Edwards is until his Pro Day. He broke his thumb during the Senior Bowl and will not run at the combine.

The 49ers still can interview Edwards this week, and gather background information. Draft experts currently project him to be a sixth-round pick.