Isaiah

Oliver

Oliver was released after the 2023 season by the 49ers, allowing him to agree to a deal prior to the start of the new league year. It was his sole season as a 49er, starting six games and snagging one interception. Oliver also played special teams and did not log a defensive snap during the postseason. Prior to joining the 49ers, Oliver spent five seasons with the Falcons, establishing himself as a nickel corner. He is now expected to join the Jets’ secondary on a one-year contract.

Oliver was signed to a two-year contract by the 49ers last offseason but is gone after one season. The veteran corner tallied 67 tackles and one interception on the year and earned a PFF coverage grade of 70.9. Oliver appeared in all 17 regular season games on defense for the 49ers but saw his snaps slashed after Week 8. He did not log a defensive snap in the postseason. His release clears just over $2 million in cap space for the 49ers.

Oliver arrives in San Francisco with experience both on the outside and in the middle. The slot is where he spent 2022, earning strong overall marks from Pro Football Focus, including in coverage. It would seem Oliver will probably compete with second-year pro Samuel Womack for nickel duties, though perhaps he will also spend some time on the outside. Life is easier for corners in San Francisco because of the wreckage done up front by Joey Bosa and company.

Oliver has been out for over a year with a knee injury. Now healthy and playing on a one-year deal, Oliver will try to establish himself as the No. 3 corner behind A.J. Terrell and Casey Hayward.

Oliver went down with a knee injury a year ago, ending his 2021 season after just four games. He wasn’t cleared for OTAs and landed on injured reserve to start the year. With Oliver’s injury lingering into the regular season, it’s likely that the team will make use of the bulk of his 21-day window to return.

It’s a concern, as Oliver was brought off the PUP list during camp. Now he must miss at least the first four games of the season after being limited to four games by a knee issue in 2021. Oliver is playing on a one-year deal after never being particularly impressive during the life of his four-year rookie pact.

Oliver was limited to four games after a knee injury ended his season in October. The Falcons re-signed him to a one-year deal in March. A starter the last three seasons, Oliver is the favorite to open the year as the Falcons’ slot corner if healthy.

Oliver suffered a knee injury that required surgery in early October, so taking a one-year deal to return to Atlanta probably made the most sense for him. A second-round pick back in 2018, Oliver has underwhelmed throughout his career, but he was operating as the starting slot corner last year before going down. He will hope to earn a starting role and rehab his value this year before heading back to the open market.

The ball-hawking 29-year-old will go under the knife later this week. Trufant flashed big play-making ability when healthy this year (team-high four interceptions), though injuries limited the 2013 first-rounder to just nine appearances. Isaiah Oliver and Kendall Sheffield will play out the stretch as Atlanta’s top corners. Neither have shown much this year.

Oliver played just 241 snaps as a rookie, but the Falcons are counting on a big step forward this year after getting rid of Robert Alford, Brian Poole, and Justin Bethel this spring. It is a risk, but Oliver should have something of a safety net with Desmond Trufant on the other side and both Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal returning to full health at safety. Despite their losses, Atlanta’s secondary should be better this season.