K'Waun Williams is now with the Broncos.
That means the 49ers have a vacancy at nickel corner for the first time since Kyle Shanahan took over as head coach.
This is uncharted territory that the 49ers are in with looking for a new starter in the slot. Williams had done such a tremendous job there since joining the team. His impact is easily one of the most underrated on the defense as he excelled against the run, pass coverage, and acting as a blitzer. Filling his spot won't be easy.
In fact, the options at slot corner are slim for the 49ers.
No matter how you look at it, the options in getting the same impact Williams had at the position will not be the same. There is going to be drop off no matter who the 49ers replace Williams with.
For starters, one option the 49ers could take is kicking Deommodore Lenoir in the slot. It is something that they started playing with in training camp last year, so they have some seeds planted there for him to see his role as a slot corner. However, Lenoir has ZERO experience playing in the slot. He played exclusively on the outside in college at the University of Oregon.
The 49ers would be playing him out of position, which seems to be an infatuation of this coaching staff. They just love to play their young talents out of position, then they wonder why that talent isn't excelling. Lenoir is not a feasible option in the slot. Even if he can become decent there, he's not going to sniff the impact of Williams right off the bat if at all next season. So unless the 49ers want to have a clear liability on the defense, they will stay away from this.
Another avenue the 49ers could explore is Emmanuel Moseley in the slot. When the 49ers have to trot out five defensive backs, then they can kick Moseley into the slot and have Ambry Thomas take the outside. Moseley isn't a stranger in the slot and Thomas in the slot is not an option. Great in theory at first, but only that. This is a terrible idea.
Moseley is a strong corner on the outside. Kicking him inside to fill a need is ridiculous. That'll remove what he excels at just out of desperation and have his vacancy be filled by a lesser player in Thomas. This might be the more feasible option at the 49ers' disposal if they stick to the players already on the roster. It just doesn't make sense to kick Moseley there by weakening the boundary. Moseley isn't going to make that much of an impact inside anyway, so it behooves the 49ers to keep their talents where they excel.
The only real option that is optimal for the 49ers in the slot is tapping into free agency. There isn't a slot corner available who can execute all three skills that Williams did with great efficiency. But there are corners available who are better in coverage than Williams, which does help shrink the hole. And in a division that sees Cooper Kupp, going after a more pass coverage oriented slot corner would help.
Someone such as a Bryce Callahan or Chris Harris Jr., who wouldn't cost much, could fill that need. And that is basically what free agency is for. This is the resource for teams to fill needs. Finding the perfect replacement for Williams is not possible this year. Even if the 49ers go into the draft looking for one, chances are that rookie is not going to be impactful this year. Besides, the 49ers are the last team to entrust a rookie at such a pivotal position.
Slot corner cannot be overlooked. The 49ers do view it as a crucial spot. They won't be able to get that same run supporting nickel that they're accustomed to, but Callahan and Harris should be better players in coverage than Williams was. And if they can do it, they will have put themselves in a solid enough position going into the season.
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