Will CB Isaac Yiadom Become a Starter for the 49ers?

There is one cornerback vacancy up for grabs on the 49ers, which can very become Isaac Yiadom's to lose as he has been running with the starters in practice.

Oct 1, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Isaac Yiadom (27) celebrates an inception against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second quarter at the Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports / Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

Competition is extremely heavy at the cornerback position for the San Francisco 49ers.

They need to figure out who their third starter will be, following Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lennoir in 2024. From new faces to familiar ones, the cornerback position is going to shape very intriguingly when training camp arrives.

One player who may already have the leg up on everyone is free agent signing Isaac Yiadom. Apparently Yiadom has been running with the starters for every practice in the last few weeks. It seems the 49ers believe Yiadom could be their "diamond in the rough" addition to the team.

So, will Yiadom become a starter for the 49ers?

I believe he will. Let's start by using the process of elimination. The former starter, Ambry Thomas, has lost complete trust from Kyle Shanahan. I see no way Thomas starts again for this defense. Rookie Renardo Green is a possibility, but starting a rookie at cornerback is unlikely.

Speaking of young players like Samuel Womack and Darrell Luter Jr., they could make a case to start, but they seem entrenched as nothing more than special teams players. That leaves veteran Rock Ya-Sin as a player who could start, but he seems more contingency than anything.

All signs point to Yiadom being the starter. He was always one of the most interesting players that the 49ers signed in free agency because of the being potential from how solid he looked last season with the New Orleans Saints.

"He's very technical. He's very strong," said defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen. "I think he's a guy that's also, like we talk about Mooney being strong and a tackler, he's got that in his history as well. He's a tough guy. He's physical. He plays with his hands. He's violent. He communicates. He sees things before they happen and that stuff has shown up.”

Quite the detailed overview of Yiadom. Given the fact that Sorensen has a defensive back background, it only bodes well for Yiadom's chances to start after he was heaped praises unto him. So, Yiadom is more likely than not to be the starter that joins Ward and Lenoir.