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Whitner believes 49ers rookie is aiding team’s best secondary in years originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Renardo Green has been a pleasant surprise in the 49ers’ secondary.
The rookie cornerback — selected No. 64 overall out of Florida State in the 2024 NFL Draft — shone Sunday night in San Francisco’s preseason loss to the New Orleans Saints and has had an impressive training camp.
Donte Whitner, former 49ers defensive back of three seasons (2011-13), has liked what he has seen from Green, discussing how the rookie’s promise is aiding San Francisco’s best secondary in years Monday with KNBR’s “Murph and Markus.”
“I believe [Green] was already in the mix,” Whitner told hosts Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher. “And since Isaac Yiadom has been down — because he’s the first corner to come in when you have Charvarius Ward on one side, Deommodore Lenoir moves into the slot [and] Isaac Yiadom comes in as the outside corner … the next guy that would be in would be Green.
“[Against the Saints], Green did exactly what he’s been doing in training camp. He’s sticky, athletic, physical at the line of scrimmage and closes well with the ball in the air. I think the 49ers are in a better position than ever since I’ve been covering them, at the defensive back position.”
Green finished Sunday’s game facing two targets — for just one Chris Olave reception worth 19 yards — over his 32 snaps entirely at cornerback.
He complements a restructured 49ers secondary that prefers to play Lenoir at nickel and with Ambry Thomas — who will miss time during the 2024 NFL season with a fractured forearm — on the bench.
Green, 23, is versatile and comfortable playing inside and outside like he did as a Seminole. He complements what Whitner believes is the best San Francisco secondary in quite some time, alongside Lenoir, Ward and safeties Ji’Ayir Brown and Talanoa Hufanga.
“With the length [and] depth [the 49ers] have, I think they’re going to be in…
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/whitner-believes-49ers-rookie-aiding-233652947.html
Author : NBC Sports BayArea
Publish date : 2024-08-19 23:36:52
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