San Francisco 49ers: 10 Biggest X-Factors for 2016 Season
By Peter Panacy
No. 5: Cornerback Kenneth Acker
The 49ers stockpiled cornerbacks in the 2016 NFL Draft, which means there will be plenty more competition for third-year pro Kenneth Acker this season.
Acker secured the No. 2 corner role opposite Tramaine Brock in 2015 and totaled 823 snaps on the season, per PFF, which is second only to Brock at this position. Over that stretch, Acker graded out with a minus-0.3 overall PFF grade — not bad but certainly with room for improvement.
He’ll have to showcase his skills now, especially after the Niners added cornerbacks Will Redmond, Rashard Robinson and Prince Charles Iworah during the draft. Add fellow corners Keith Reaser and Dontae Johnson to the mix, and Acker’s hold on the No. 2 spot is tenuous at best.
Still, Acker was tied with Brock for the team lead in interceptions (three) and was second behind Brock with eight passes defended.
Why He’ll Improve
As noted on the previous slide, young defensive backs frequently take a season or two to adjust to NFL routes and offensive schemes. Such weaknesses are revealed in coverage, and Acker’s mishaps last year were evidence of this.
But the sheer talent was there on display, as the above numbers suggest. Paired with a better 49ers front seven — which takes pressure off the secondary to maintain coverage — and a full year under his belt, the door is open for Acker to secure a starting job once more.
San Francisco put faith in Acker starting a year ago, and that was on a bad defense with nearly zero pass rush. If the 49ers pass rush is better this season, Acker should be a primary beneficiary.
Why He’ll Disappoint
Acker is far from guaranteed to secure any starting job this season. And it’s more than likely the Niners want to get something promising out of rookies like Redmond and/or Robinson.
Should Acker disappoint in 2016, a best-case scenario would be for fellow young-veteran corners like Johnson and Jimmie Ward to secure a starting job and perform adequately enough so that any shortcomings from Acker wouldn’t be too big a deal.
Still, Acker’s impact could be a major factor in determining the overall efficiency of the 49ers secondary this season.
Next: No. 4: OLB Aaron Lynch