The Last Piece of the Super Bowl Puzzle for the 49ers

The 49ers have an outstanding roster when it's rested and healthy. But it's still at least one player away from being legitimate favorites to win the Super Bowl.

The 49ers don't have a quality No. 3 cornerback, and it's too late to trade for one -- the trade deadline passed. And they're so far down the waiver priority list, they'll never find a quality one that way, either. But they need to find one.

Their current options at No. 3 cornerback are Isaiah Oliver and Ambry Thomas. Oliver is a nickelback who's too slow to cover any slot receiver man to man, so when he's on the field he forces defensive coordinator Steve Wilks to call almost nothing but soft zone coverage.

Thomas is a press-man corner who lines up outside and frequently gets beaten. He already got benched once this season -- during halftime of Week 1. He didn't get far. But now he's back in the mix because Oliver is demonstrably worse.

The 49ers need to find a cornerback who's better than Thomas. And they might have a couple options in house.

Samuel Womack and Darrell Luter Jr. are working their way back from offseason injuries and could get activated in the next couple weeks. And if either one is merely solid, the 49ers will be in great shape.

Womack is a second-year slot cornerback who's smaller than Oliver but much faster than him and actually capable of covering man to man. Luter Jr. is a press-man corner who plays outside, similar to Thomas. The 49ers drafted him this year to replace Thomas if he struggles.

It's never ideal when a team has to hope that one of two young, inexperienced cornerbacks can put them over the top, but that's where the 49ers are.