One popular position 49ers won't pick in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL draft

There's a common perception in the lead-up to this year's NFL draft that the San Francisco 49ers have a dire need at cornerback that they must address in the first round.

Cornerbacks have been popular mock draft selection for them at No. 11 overall. ESPN's Matt Miller went so far as to call it their biggest need above both the offensive and defensive lines. While the 49ers could use some depth in their secondary, it is not their biggest need and it would be a massive surprise if they picked a cornerback in the first round.

History is our first indicator the 49ers won't be picking a CB in the first round. Since John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan took over in the 2017 offseason, San Francisco has used nine selections on cornerbacks in eight drafts.

The earliest of those selections came last year when they pick Florida State CB Renardo Green with the final pick in the second round at No. 64 overall. In 2017 they took Colorado's Ahkello Witherspoon No. 66 overall. The other six CBs they selected were taken between Nos. 102 and 221.

Perhaps there has just never been a CB as talented as Johnson or Barron available when they were picking in the first round. One of those players could just blow the team away and force them to completely alter their established draft philosophy.

The other issue is that cornerback is not such a dire need that the 49ers should put it above their offensive or defensive lines. It may not even be a need above linebacker, wide receiver or running back.

Green played well enough last year to earn a starting spot alongside Deommodore Lenoir. The 49ers need a third CB, but they signed veteran CB Tre Brown in the offseason and added third-year CB Tre Tomlinson off waivers. They'll compete for starting spots along with 2023 fifth-round pick Darrell Luter Jr.

San Francisco should add a rookie or two to this mix, but their past drafts tell us they're more likely to use Day 2 and/or Day 3 picks to add depth than they are to dish out a first-round pick at a position they've historically not prioritized.