Emmanuel Moseley was one of the best success stories of the San Francisco 49ers during John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan’s regime. The quarterback has since taken the torch, but Moseley, an undrafted free agent, saved the Niners' defense when they needed a cornerback opposite Richard Sherman.
The 49ers added several “inside” players to the roster this season. These defensive backs can play both safety and nickel. One player we haven’t discussed is undrafted free agent Jakob Robinson from BYU. He’s hoping to follow in Moseley's footsteps and earn not just a roster spot but starter snaps.
PFF listed Robinson as their pick for a UDFA to make each team’s roster:
San Francisco 49ers: CB Jakob Robinson, BYU
The 49ers are set to field one of the shakiest cornerback groups on paper in the NFL, so perhaps the team has high hopes for Robinson, their lone UDFA signing at cornerback.
Robinson earned a 65.0-plus PFF coverage grade in all but one of his four seasons at BYU, and he didn’t allow a passer rating above 100.0 in coverage in any of those campaigns. In the Cougars’ bowl-game win over Colorado, he limited LaJohntay Wester and Jimmy Horn Jr. to two catches for 3 yards. And Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan, the No. 8 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, didn’t secure a catch when matched up with Robinson in BYU’s Week 7 win.
Robinson was second-team All-Big 12 in 2024. At BYU’s Pro Day, he ran a 4.39 40-yard dash, a 38” vertical, and a 7.01 3-cone. All of those were above average.
Robinson measured at 5’10, 181 pounds. The Cougars played Robinson in the slot because of that. You’ll see him struggle to get off blocks or contribute much in the run game.
However, Robinson’s closing speed showed up often when it was time for him to come forward and make a tackle. The misses I saw came when Robinson left his feet. To his credit, he had six tackles for loss, so there’s a necessary aggression Robinson has that’s needed to excel in the slot—a place where he played 71% of his snaps in 2024.
Robinson’s coverage numbers are why the Niners added him. Robinson only allowed 3.8 yards per target on 35 targets, with 13 completions allowed. He had three interceptions and 11 pass breakups. Robinson lived around the football.
In 2023, Robinson, a fifth-year senior, spent the majority of his time out wide at cornerback, as only 21% of his snaps were in the slot. He was targeted 75 times, allowing a completion percentage of 47%, 14 pass breakups, and four interceptions.
Robinson faced Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Isaac TeSlaa, and Savion Williams that year. There are no guessing games regarding the talent Robinson lined up against. He was also in the East-West Shrine All-Star game this past year.
How do the 49ers see him? Positional flexibility should help Robinson. However, his size/tackling ability may determine where he plays the most. On a roster where cornerback there are more questions than answers at cornerback, Robinson has the athletic upside and has faced enough quality competition throughout his career to put him in a position to make the team.
