One 49ers Player Who is the Biggest Threat to Beat out Renardo Green

One notable aspect of the San Francisco 49ers this offseason is that they emphasized adding cornerbacks.

It's a clear sign that they want to light a fire under Renardo Green, who had a down year in 2025. The idea is that the competition will bring the best out of him in training camp.

"I believe that Renardo can be a very good player," Kyle Shanahan said at the NFL annual meetings in March. "I think he will be a very good player. I think he's done some good things. He's played at a starter level, and I got much higher expectations for him."

Green will need to answer this challenge. He should have the upper hand and remain as the starter, but there is one 49ers player who is a serious threat to dethrone him.

This 49ers player can potentially start over Green

It's rookie Ephesians Prysock. Now, it may seem crazy to think that a rookie can beat out a third-year player like Green. The 49ers drafted Prysock in the fourth round at No. 139 overall.

He's not some highly touted prospect who was drafted in the second round or earlier. Green should keep Prysock at bay if he rekindles his rookie impact and more.

However, it's possible Prysock can steal the starting job from Green. If the 49ers drafted him, that means defensive coordinator Raheem Morris signed off on him.

Morris is a defensive backs-oriented coach, so he had to have seen something in Prysock that he liked. And since the 49ers want competition at the position, it was a no-brainer to take him.

Prysock is unlike any cornerback the 49ers have right now. He's 6'3 with an arm span of 33 1/8" and close to 200 pounds. He has the size to be extremely physical.

Meanwhile, Green is 6'0 with an arm span of 31 1/4" and around 185 pounds. Prysock gives the 49ers a size advantage in the secondary that they don't have.

Now, when they face tall, lengthy wide receivers, they have the perfect countermeasure to them with Prysock. That is what Morris must be envisioning.

Of course, he will need to live up to his projection quickly. He won't have ample time to beat out Green. Prysock has to perform well in training camp and the preseason.

But he'll also need Green to be inconsistent. If it's tied up, Green will get the nod to retain his starting role. However, don't be surprised if Prysock eventually starts.

All it'll take is a few lowly performances from Green, like when the 49ers pulled him out against the Seattle Seahawks in the playoffs, for him to get benched.

And if Prysock has been looking sweet, it'll only increase the likelihood he starts over Green.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/49ers/onsi as One 49ers Player Who is the Biggest Threat to Beat out Renardo Green.

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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 1:00 PM.