Every year, ESPN NFL expert Louis Riddick makes his picks for the top non-first-round players on every team who he thinks could become starters or make significant contributions in two to three years.
It’s not a perfect system and there are no clear guidelines. Still, Riddick picked some solid players last year, like Harold Fannin, Woody Marks, Elic Ayomanor and Jacory Croskey-Merritt — all of whom made important contributions for their respective teams immediately.
For the 49ers, Riddick picked cornerback Ephesians Prysock, whom San Francisco drafted in the fourth round out of Washington. The 6-foot-3 and 193-pounder has the chance to play a solid amount of snaps in a depleted 49ers secondary. He’s only behind Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green and Jack Jones among outside cornerbacks — and all three are either on the final year of their contracts or have no guaranteed money left on their deals.
So, depending on how the group fares in 2026, there is a world in which Prysock finds a role in the secondary this season before taking over in a year or two. He was solid in his time at college with two interceptions, 20 passes defensed and 154 combined tackles in 39 games from 2023 to 2025.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Louis Riddick reveals his favorite pick from 49ers’ 2026 draft class
Reporting by Oliver G., Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
