Last season, the 49ers’ rookie of the year was Ji’Ayir Brown. He became a starter down the stretch and made a huge interception in the Super Bowl.
This season, the 49ers rookie of the year also will be a defensive back — second-round pick Renardo Green.
Green may not start right away this season — he’ll have to beat out veteran cornerback Isaac Yiadom. And the 49ers coaching staff can be quite conservative when it comes to picking starters. But Yiadom has had an extremely inconsistent career. He played well last season for the Saints, and that was a career first. He struggled big-time before 2024.
Now, he’ll be the no. 1 target in the 49ers’ secondary. Opposing quarterbacks won’t want to test Charvarius Ward or Deommodore Lenoir, which means Yiadom will get lots of action. So if he can’t cut it, we’ll find out right away.
I expect Yiadom will play his way off the field in the first few games, and then I expect Green will get his opportunity to play. And if OTAs and minicamp are any indication, he’ll play well.
Green is extremely competitive and gives up very little separation when he’s covering the slot receiver. His biggest issue is that his coverage can be too tight at times and he can commit penalties. But being too aggressive is better than being passive.
Once Green gets a feel for what he can and can’t get away with, I expect he’ll be a quality nickelback for the 49ers.
Source link : https://www.si.com/nfl/49ers/news/why-renardo-green-will-be-the-49ers-rookie-of-the-year-in-2024-01j2vzzs46g7
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Publish date : 2024-07-16 00:13:12
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