The New York Giants made wide receiver Malik Nabers the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Fifty-eight picks later, the San Francisco 49ers selected cornerback Renardo Green in the second round.
Green earned a career-high 86.4 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus last year, with opposing quarterbacks posting a mere 75.0 passer rating when targeting him. He kicked off the season with an impressive performance in Week 1, where he was tasked with containing Nabers and preventing him from taking over the game.
Nabers finished the contest with six receptions for 67 yards in a 45-24 loss to Florida State. Only two of those receptions for a total of 20 yards came from the five targets against Green, who also managed to secure an interception.
General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged that Green's standout performance against Nabers stood out in their pre-draft assessment of the cornerback.
"We saw two of those players at LSU, Nabers and [WR] Brian Thomas [Jr.] go in the first round," Lynch said. "And it's really awesome when you get a chance to see guys go up against the best college football has to offer. And you can tell he's a guy that welcomes that type of challenge. And he certainly did on that day, held his own, and he held his own all year."
The 49ers have been striving to strengthen their outside cornerback position for years. While Deommodore Lenoir performed well last season, the team would love to permanently solidify his position in the nickel spot. Alternatively, if they find a capable defender for the slot, Lenoir could potentially line up opposite Charvarius Ward.
Green is confident in his ability to fulfill any role the 49ers require of him. During a Zoom call with reporters shortly after being drafted, he expressed, "I can personally play all three positions in the secondary, no matter if that's at corner, nickel, or back at safety. I can do it all. So really, just wherever the team needs me, that's what I'm going to do."
He elaborated, "For two years I played in the slot position. That was in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. And at FSU, at one point, we had a joker package where we'd go three high safeties and then one of the safeties would drop and become a nickel and that was me. We ran it in 2020, so I got some experience playing in that slot, actually."
The 49ers are happy to get such a versatile player, providing them multiple options for the 2024 season.
"We've seen him play outside and we know he can play outside, but he's also wired the right way to play inside," Shanahan said. "Just doesn't have a lot of tape of it, but that's something we believe he can do both. I'm glad he feels the same and we'll give him an opportunity to do both."
Having watched 49ers games last season, Green believes he is a perfect fit for the team's physical defense.
"They play like some savages," Green stated. "They play like some dogs. Everyone fly around to the ball, everybody make plays on the ball and everybody comes to hit. Everybody comes to play. They have high energy, a high-energy attacking defense. They're not a defense that just sit back and let the offense come at them. No, they go in and attack. The best defense is the best offense."
According to Sports Reference, Green registered 43 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss, 0.5 sacks, 13 passes defensed, and an interception through 13 game appearances as a senior in 2023. Throughout his collegiate career, he recorded 148 tackles, including seven for a loss, 0.5 sacks, 22 passes defensed, an interception, and a forced fumble over five seasons.
If Green meets the 49ers' expectations, the team could boast an impressive cornerback group in 2024.
Lynch added, "He can play man-to-man, he'll get up, challenge receivers, has done it against some really top-level players, and fired up to have him as well."