What Renardo Green Needs to Show During OTAs

Green clearly is a press-man specialist, which is a value skill for a cornerback.

Sep 5, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive back Renardo Green (8) / Alicia Devine-USA TODAY Sports

Renardo Green was the star of 49ers rookie minicamp.

He never got targeted, and when he faced first-round pick Ricky Pearsall, Green blanketed him, particularly when playing press man-to-man coverage. Green clearly is a press-man specialist, which is a value skill for a cornerback. But in OTAs, Green will need to show that he can do more than play press.

The 49ers defense plays lots of coverages, not just press. They play off-man coverage, too, and they play zone more than they play man. And when defensive backs are in zone coverage, they have their eyes on the quarterback, not the receiver, which means they're in better position to intercept passes.

But in five seasons at Florida State, Green intercepted just one pass, and he intercepted it in his fifth and final season. That's concerning. Most top-level cornerbacks can cover AND catch the ball when it's thrown near them. If Green can cover but can't take away the ball from the opposition, he never will be elite.

This is why the 49ers should draft cornerbacks earlier than they usually do. Green was the final pick in Round 2, and the first second-round pick the 49ers have spent on a cornerback in 20 years, which is good. But even at the end of Round 2, it's not easy to find a cornerback who can intercept passes and cover man to man. Those guys are usually gone after the first 45 picks. As opposed to good wide receivers, who are a dime a dozen in the draft.