Ahh, the fifth round. That’s the 49ers’ sweet spot.
In the Kyle Shanahan-John Lynch era, there have been some absolute studs found in that round. George Kittle, Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga (and D.J. Reed, who found success elsewhere) were all fifth-round picks.
With San Francisco’s first of two fifth-round picks in 2023, they selected Darrell Luter Jr., a corner out of South Alabama. It’s the third-straight year they’ve taken a corner in the fifth round, having selected Samuel Womack in 2022 and Deommodore Lenoir in 2021.
Luter, first of all, is athletic. Per ras.football:
Luter Jr. played three years at South Alabama, playing 13 games his senior season. While he had just one interception, he’s viewed as a corner with the ability to play through the ball. His experience playing in a similar scheme as the 49ers, tasked to play press-zone might make his transition to their scheme a bit easier.
Round five is where you trust your scouts, and its hard to go wrong stacking defensive backs.
