49ers Named Best Fit for Free Agent Prodigy

A major piece the San Francisco 49ers were sad to see go in free agency was defensive back Charvarius Ward, who signed a new contract with the Indianapolis Colts.

That departure, among many, led the 49ers to heavily target the defensive side of the ball in the 2025 NFL Draft. They walked away with a massive 11-player haul, six of which play defense (and five of those were San Fran's first five picks overall).

As we now gear up for offseason programs and training camp later this summer, San Francisco may not be done looking to add to their roster. There are still multiple players that would be worth considering on the free agency market.

One is young cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. from the Los Angeles Chargers, who NFL.com analyst Jeffri Chadiha says would be a good fit with the Niners.

"San Francisco makes sense for Samuel for two reasons. One is that he’s likely to be available at a very affordable price now that the draft has passed. The other is that the 49ers are thin at cornerback -- they lost Charvarius Ward, Rock Ya-Sin and Isaac Yiadom from last year’s team -- and play a zone-heavy system that could allow Samuel to flourish," Chadiha said. 

Samuel, the son of 11-year NFL veteran, All-Pro cornerback and Super Bowl champion Asante Samuel, doesn't come without risks, however.

"The big knocks on Samuel after his four seasons with the Chargers were his tackling and lack of consistency in press coverage. He also dealt with a lingering neck/shoulder injury that limited him to four games last season (and continued to dog him earlier this offseason)," Chadiha added.

"If the 49ers could land Samuel on a one-year, prove-it deal, he might flourish under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and create a chance for a massive long-term deal. Samuel is only 25 and one of the best remaining free agents on the market. This could be a win-win for both sides."

Before last season's quiet campaign, Samuel had registered two interceptions in each of his first three seasons with the Chargers. He made a combined 163 tackles in that span, but was held to just 13 last season with no picks.

This late into the free agency period, it is rare that a player of Samuel's promise (and position) is still on the market. Both sides could greatly benefit from a last-minute union.

The 49ers and Samuel should be hoping the two can connect and form what could be a successful pairing, however unlikely it came to be.