The San Francisco 49ers were only expected to lose one cornerback this offseason (Chase Lucas), but they went out and address the position early in free agency, signing veteran Nate Hobbs last week.
With Hobbs potentially competing with Renardo Green for a starting job, fans should get familiar with the new addition before he even steps on the practice field.
Here are a few things to know about Hobbs.
Pre-NFL days
Hobbs was a two-star recruit out of Louisville Male High School in Louisville, Kentucky, before committing to the University of Illinois. With the Fighting Illini, he appeared in 39 games and recorded 168 tackles. 15 passes defensed, three interceptions, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery that was returned for a touchdown.
NFL statistics and role
The Las Vegas Raiders took Hobbs in the fifth round (No. 167 overall) of the 2021 NFL draft. He spent four seasons with the Raiders before joining the Green Bay Packers for their 2025 campaign.
In his career, Hobbs has played both outside and slot cornerback while recording 308 tackles, 21 passes defensed, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, three sacks and one fumble recovery.
Availability concerns
Hobbs has never played all 17 games in a season, and he’s only played in more than 12 games twice (16 games as a rookie in 2021 and 13 games in 2023). In each of his three other seasons, he played exactly 11 games. That’s not ideal for someone who could play a big role.
Analytics
Last season, Hobbs received a 61.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which was good for 60th out of 114 qualified cornerbacks. That grade included a 50.7 pass-rush grade (No. 76), a 58.1 coverage grade (No. 75) and a 77.4 run-defense grade (No. 17).
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 4 things to know about new 49ers cornerback Nate Hobbs
Reporting by Mike Masala, Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
