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Robert Saleh Says Renardo Green is One of the 49ers' Best Players

He's Saleh's not-so secret weapon.

Grant Cohn

Oct 6, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Renardo Green (0) before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Oct 6, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Renardo Green (0) before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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This was surprising.

Robert Saleh gave his first press conference this week since being hired as the 49ers defensive coordinator for the second time, and he was asked if it feels like the first time he was hired back in 2017.

"No," Saleh said sternly. "From a talent standpoint, Nick Bosa is here, you've got obviously Fred Warner, Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green There's a lot of really good talent on this defense, so it's not nearly as what ‘17 was."

My first takeaway is that Saleh seems to forget how much talent he inherited in 2017. That defense had DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead, Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt -- three first-round picks and a second-rounder. Saleh didn't build that defense from scratch, although he did build most of it.

My second takeaway is that I did not expect Saleh to list Renardo Green along with Bosa, Warner and Lenoir. Those are the big three on the 49ers defense. Apparently, Saleh thinks there's a big four.

Green started just 7 games as a rookie last season, but he broke up a team-high 13 passes. Now, he'll be a full-time starter. And he's the only cornerback the 49ers have who isn't small.

Green is 6'0", 186 pounds and he runs a 4.49. He has the frame and athleticism to match up man-to-man with most wide receivers. He even can cover slot receivers in a pinch.

Don't be shocked if Green has a Pro Bowl season in 2025. He's Saleh's not-so secret weapon.

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Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

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