Jimmie Ward is among the players who the San Francisco 49ers have to make a decision on before March 18, when the starting safety is scheduled to become a free agent.
There has been some speculation that the 49ers might use their first draft pick, the No. 31 overall selection, to replace Ward. Two names that come up are LSU safety Grant Delpit and Alabama safety Xavier McKinney.
Ward offered his opinion on the possibility of the 49ers adding either player to replace him. The comment on Instagram was noticed by our own Matthew Barr and shared on his Twitter account.
"If you draft a safety in the first round, the two names y'all keep throwing up every other day .. just know you can't use them how our [defensive coordinator] used me this past season," Ward wrote. "Best bet is to draft a coverage safety in the later rounds to get a steal. Stick with [Tarvarius Moore] at safety if they don't sign me back!"
Jimmie Ward takes to IG to weigh in on the #49ers possibly replacing him through free agency of the draft. The two names are Xavier McKinney and Grant Delpit. #49wz pic.twitter.com/YLsTIxYVDi
— Matt Barr (@MattBarr_) March 6, 2020
Ward plans to enter free agency, assuming the 49ers do not re-sign him before then, as a safety and has no desire to return to playing cornerback. Although, he has said he would prefer to return to San Francisco.
"This is a team I would like to play for," Ward said last month. "They drafted me. I got injured a couple of years (four), and they still gave me an opportunity to show what I could do. I ended up getting 16 games (including playoffs) this year. It was a little different, but I got it. … But there's a lot of interest right now from both ways. Hopefully, they've got the upper hand right now because I do want to be in California."
Ward registered 65 combined tackles, a sack, and eight passes defensed through 13 regular-season starts with the 49ers in 2019. His Pro Football Focus grade of 84.9 — the sixth-highest graded safety — was the best of his career.
The topic of what to do at the safety position should the 49ers not re-sign Ward, including players available in the draft or starting Moore, was discussed in the latest 49ers Webzone No Huddle Podcast. You can listen to the episode below.