49ers Sign Former Top-10 Pick Weeks Before NFL Preseason Begins

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dibyendu Mondal | Last updated Jul 28, 2025 1:13 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers endured an underwhelming 2024 season. Of their 17 games, they managed to win only six, dropping several winnable matchups. This stood in stark contrast to 2023, when they reached the Super Bowl but ultimately fell to the Kansas City Chiefs.

This time around, they are fine-tuning their roster before the season. The club is taking incremental steps to bolster its secondary depth ahead of the upcoming exhibition slate.

In a surprise move late Sunday, the 49ers agreed to terms on a one‑year contract with veteran cornerback Eli Apple, a former top-10 draft pick. Apple’s deal was confirmed by his agency on social media.

Apple is a former Ohio State Buckeye. He was part of the 2014 squad that won the national championship. In his two years at the program, Apple played 28 games with 86 total tackles and four interceptions. He was selected 10th overall by the New York Giants in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Apple has appeared in 102 regular‑season contests (82 starts) in the NFL across stops in New York, New Orleans, Carolina, Cincinnati, Miami and Los Angeles (Chargers). Over nine seasons, he has amassed 383 tackles, six interceptions and 61 pass breakups, along with three forced fumbles and seven recoveries.

49ers signing CB Eli Apple.
(via @UniSportsMgmt) pic.twitter.com/ToqCho9Kq4
— NFL (@NFL) July 27, 2025

The move follows a hamstring injury suffered by projected starting corner Renardo Green during practice last week, sidelining him for an expected two-week stretch.

San Francisco’s depth chart already featured third‑year pro Deommodore Lenoir and rookie Upton Stout, but the absence of Green prompted the front office to seek proven experience in camp.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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