The San Francisco 49ers have had an extremely busy offseason, one dominated by the trade speculation and that has seen significant changes to the defense.
Most of the changes concerned the defensive front, which has undergone a significant remodel that included the the surprise release of Arik Armstead, who had been the 49ers' longest-tenured player.
But a move of underrated importance came in the secondary when the 49ers signed cornerback Isaac Yiadom to a one-year deal back in March.
San Francisco has since drafted Renardo Green in the second round an is trying him at both outside corner and nickel, with defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen so far impressed with the results.
But Yiadom gives the 49ers veteran insurance behind starters Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir. As an outside only corner, Yiadom's likely role would be to come in on nickel downs and allow Lenoir to move inside to the slot as he did for much of 2023.
Yiadom being given that responsibility may be contingent on whether or not Green shows enough during training camp to be given the starting job at nickel. Still, the 49ers can be confident in Yiadom's ability to step in and play significant snaps when needed.
A former third-round pick of the Denver Broncos in 2018, Yiadom had an excellent sole season with the New Orleans Saints in 2023.
He racked up 14 pass breakups and, per Sports Info Solutions, allowed a completion percentage of just 38.5%, tied for the fourth-best among cornerbacks with at least 25 targets. Yiadom was ninth by yards per attempt allowed (5.1) and finished 13th by positive play rate allowed (35.9%).
As if those impressive numbers weren't enough for Yiadom to earn the 49ers' faith, he quickly made a good impression after signing by taking an unusual step.
Defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said at his press conference on Wednesday:"I think with Ike, he came into the league and he kind of bounced around for a while.
"But everything we had heard about him and you see is what he's been when he got here. He's kind of self-made, like he works. He's very serious.
"I think when he came to sign, he actually like went and got a workout after he signed. I've never seen that, but that's him. I think that's what's kind of shown up with who he is and he's very meticulous and the stuff that showed up later in the year with him and how he competed against a lot of really good receivers.
"I think it's been awesome that we're seeing that now too. He's very technical. He's very strong. I think he's a guy that's also, like we talk about Mooney [Ward] 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."
Stingy in coverage with strong ball skills and a clear determination to make a difference defending the run. Yiadom ticks all the boxes for a 49ers cornerback, and the work ethic he displayed by focusing on improving himself after signing his contract is indicative of a player who will be ready to go when called upon in 2024 regardless of his position on the depth chart.
