NFL Draft 2019: San Francisco 49ers 7-round mock draft
By Joe Romano
Round 3 – Pick 67
Joejuan Williams, CB, Vanderbilt
Mock drafts that simply plug-and-play the top prospect at the position of need are doing fans a disservice. That is not how NFL teams draft. Look at the past drafts of recent years, they are littered with teams that take players that fit their scheme or how they run a certain position. For San Francisco and corners that is certainly the case.
The front office went out and signed Richard Sherman, a long corner who can press. They drafted Ahkello Witherspoon two years ago out of Colorado, another long corner who is not afraid to press. Even Tarvarious Moore, who played some snaps down the stretch is a plus 6-foot corner.
Clearly the team has a type at the position. That is why in the middle of Day 2 a prospect like Joejuan Williams makes a ton of sense. Williams is a toolsy corner who plays to his 6-foot-2 and 208-pound frame. He fits the mold of the other corners on the roster as a long press corner who can fit into Robert Saleh’s defense. There are concerns with Williams including his agility testing and mirror-match ability. If he can check those boxes he has the tools to be more than a developmental mid-third round pick.
Williams should fare well in this defense that will allow him to press and play enough zone that any concerns about long speed or agility are minimized. Once the ball is in the air, Williams shines with his length and ability to locate the ball while keeping tags on a receiver. He has clear cut boundary-corner skills that fit the bill here and would make a great addition to a secondary that desperately needs him.