The San Francisco 49ers’ secondary is something of a strength now with Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir having emerged as an impressive starting cornerback duo.
But the Niners still have needs in the defensive backfield, with a hole at the slot corner position and a need for extra depth at safety.
Thankfully, day two of on-field workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine helped illustrate the point that there are potential solutions at both spots in this class.
Here I look at three players who should be on the 49ers’ radar following Friday’s workouts in Indianapolis.
Washington S Dominique Hampton
It still isn’t clear what Tashaun Gipson is going to do in 2024 after mulling retirement last offseason.
Regardless of that, it is anticipated that Ji’Ayir Brown and Talanoa Hufanga will be the starting safeties next season, but the Niners need long-term depth options behind that duo.
Hampton is not somebody the 49ers are reported as having met with, but an intriguing day three prospect deserves to be near the top of their list of potential options for developmental safeties after an excellent workout in which he demonstrated his speed and explosiveness. He ran the 40 in 4.51 seconds at 215 pounds and produced an excellent vertical leap of 39 inches. Hampton went through every drill, receiving an athletic composite score of 88.7%.
With his athleticism clearly translating to the on-field drills, Hampton’s workout should have teams including the 49ers heading back to the tape. That film may be more impressive than they remember, with Hampton’s 2023 season one in which he proved his playmaking ability. Hampton recorded 109 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups in helping the Huskies to a National Championship Game appearance.
Long, explosive and versatile, Hampton can play both safety and as a nickel, offering imposing size to the latter position. On top of that, he was praised prior to the Combine by NFL Media draft expert Daniel Jeremiah, who hailed Hampton’s work in zone coverage, in which the Niners specialise.
"This guy has really quick eyes from the middle of the field as a safety," Jeremiah said of Hampton. "He's physical, will come downhill, shed blocks. He's a little bit late to find the ball in man coverage, but in zone coverage he sees it really, really well. I think he will run pretty well, too. I think he could be a fourth-round pick."
Hampton did run well, and as the 49ers look to ensure they have an insurance policy at safety, they would be wise to be among the teams looking to make him a potentially extremely astute day-three pick.
Penn State CB Daequan Hardy
The 49ers’ interview activity suggests they have their eyes on a corner, and that they are assessing whether to take an outside corner early and kick Deommodore Lenoir inside to nickel full time or draft a slot corner and keep Lenoir on the outside.
With Hardy, the Niners would be taking the latter approach, and getting an explosive athlete with strong on-ball production during his career with Penn State.
Hardy lit up his workout with a 42.5-inch vertical jump and a 40-yard dash of 4.39 seconds, before demonstrating impressive movement skills during the on-field positional drills.
With ideal size and speed for the slot position, along with 17 pass breakups and five interceptions across his final three seasons with the Nittany Lions, Hardy has all the makings of a post-Combine riser who should greatly intrigue San Francisco in the later rounds.
Michigan CB Mike Sainristil
If the 49ers want a prospect they could immediately start at nickel, they would likely be best targeting Sainristil, who backed up his excellent tape with a hugely impressive display at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Sainristil produced a 40-inch vertical leap and a broad jump of 10ft 11in, good for a burst score of 94.2%. He ran a 4.47 40-yard dash with an excellent 10-yard split of 1.51 seconds.
That burst score is reflective of what Sainristil produces on the field, he is a remarkably assured corner who thrives playing zone coverage, displaying excellent eyes to the ball and doing a superb job of transitioning downhill quickly to make plays on the ball and tackles in space.
Sainristil is a tone-setting hitter who plays well above his size and would fit perfectly with a fast and physical defense with what he can provide in run support and as a blitzer.
After a six-interception season that included two picks returned for touchdowns, there is no doubt about Sainristil. Following a Combine showcase that also saw him ace the agility tests and produce a composed and fluid on-field workout, he needs to be in the conversation for the 49ers for selection perhaps as early as round two.
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