Last season the 49ers were ravaged by injuries in a disappointing season where they ultimately missed out on the playoffs. Coming off of a devastating Super Bowl loss with a veteran roster in 2023, the expectations were nothing short of sky high. The only positive of the 2024 season was that many younger players received significant playing time, with many of them showing off tons of potential. One of those up-and-comers is cornerback Renardo Green.
49ers Breakout Candidate
Green was taken in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft with the expectation that he could sit and learn from a cornerback room led by Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir. The season started with Green in a reserve role until Ward missed time with injury, forcing Green into the starting lineup. Green showed up for the occasion, leading many fans expecting a breakout season from him this year.
PFF analyst Jonathon Macri agrees that Renardo Green is going to have an improved second season and listed him as a breakout candidate.
“Green took on a larger role in the latter half of his rookie season, filling in for Charvarius Ward most often, which he’ll now have to do on a permanent basis. Green earned a 74.3 coverage grade and posted a 15.7% forced incompletion rate – both of which were top-20 marks at the position. With no significant competition brought in this offseason to help alleviate the Ward loss on the outside, there is at least some perceived confidence that the 2024 second-rounder can continue his strong play on a full-time basis.”
Green’s coverage grades are certainly impressive. His natural quickness and ability to recover downfield was on display throughout his 2024 film. Most impressively, he matched up with some big-time receivers. His games against the Seahawks and Dolphins were the highlights of his year, as he played very well against both DK Metcalf and Tyreek Hill.
Renardo Green’s 2025 Role
With Ward leaving in free agency, there’s no question that Green will be replacing him as a starting outside corner. 49ers Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh recently broke down the 49ers 2025 defense.
“From a talent standpoint, Nick Bosa is here, you’ve got obviously Fred Warner, Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green There’s a lot of really good talent on this defense.”
Saleh didn’t go in-depth into Green’s game, but including him in that list of players proves his faith in Green. It makes sense with the playing style that Green brings. In the past, Saleh has shown his love of press coverage corners. That is Green’s bread and butter. He’s a physical player at the point of attack and pairs that with exceptional change of direction.
Even with all the praise Green has gotten this offseason, he’ll still need to prove it on the field. There’s no doubt he stepped up last year. This year though, the 49ers are counting on him much more. He will need to show more consistency and avoid penalties, as his aggressiveness led to too many penalties in college. Fortunately, Green has the talent to become a quality NFL cornerback and is in the perfect scheme for his skill set. Buy the Renardo Green stock, it’s only going to rise.
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