The San Francisco 49ers were defeated by their archnemesis in the Los Angeles Rams in the recent NFC Championship matchup. The 49ers faithful may want to sacrifice Jimmy G for not being Joe Montana, but they had other weaknesses on their team.

Their defense might feature Nick Bosa (15.5 sacks in 2021), but they don’t carry a top-notch cornerback that can match the likes of Cooper Kupp. The 2021 NFL Offensive Player of The Year had his best performance in the playoffs against the 49ers with 14 receptions, 142 yards, and 2 touchdowns.

Thr 49ers 2021 rookie CB Ambry Thomas improved throughout the season, but the Championship aimed team might look to upgrade the CB spot in the near future. Their veteran CB Jason Verrett is a free agent and it doesn’t seem like he can be relied on, as he’s played 1 game in two of the past three seasons for the 49ers. So, could the 49ers look to reel in a big-name CB in the near free agency period? Well, here are a few profiles that could impress John Lynch.

• Stephon Gilmore

I know Stephon Gilmore might be an easy, boring pick, but Gilmore has a good chance to land with the 49ers. The former 49ers Pro Bowl CB Richard Sherman sees Gilmore signing with the 49ers. I trust Sherman’s opinion more than any other player or analyst on the Gilmore situation. Forbes also recently put out a piece on why Gilmore needs to be secured by Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers.

• Casey Hayward

The idea of SF signing Casey Hayward might seem like they are latching on to another washed-up CB. Hayward isn’t the old ball-hawk he was before, but he is a quality CB and a better aging CB than Josh Norman by a country mile. If the 49ers can’t sign Gilmore, I would expect them to turn their interest to the former Chargers CB. I would be surprised if he chose the Raiders over the 49ers if Lynch offered him a modest contract.

• Richard Sherman

The 49ers could look at bringing back Sherman for a couple of different reasons. He has familiarity with the 49ers defense and he wants another Super Bowl ring. If SF isn’t aggressive for a CB early in free agency, they could potentially sign Sherman around the NFL Draft or training camp. He might not start over Thomas, but he might even be interested in being the third CB on a talented, former squad.

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