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10 Areas of Hope, Concern for the San Francisco 49ers in 2016

By Peter Panacy

Sep 7, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) runs with the ball against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. San Francisco beat Dallas 28-17. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 7, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) runs with the ball against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. San Francisco beat Dallas 28-17. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 22, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Kenneth Acker (20) intercepts the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter at Levi's Stadium. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the San Francisco 49ers 20-3. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 22, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Kenneth Acker (20) intercepts the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter at Levi’s Stadium. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the San Francisco 49ers 20-3. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

What to Do About All Those Cornerbacks?

San Francisco, for all intents and purposes, will be starting Tramaine Brock and Jimmie Ward as the team’s Nos. 1 and 2 corners this season.

And that’s fine. Both graded positively last season, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Minus these two, the Niners have a total of eight other corners on their 90-man roster. Three of these — Will Redmond, Rashard Robinson and Prince Charles Iworah — were added during the 2016 NFL Draft.

So that makes 10 corners for, presumably, six roster spots at this position?

Competition is good. But who stands out the most?

Room for Hope

There probably shouldn’t be too much concern outside of Ward and Brock. But with offenses frequently utilizing three-plus wide receiver sets now, slot and depth roles have become increasingly important.

San Francisco has a tendency to start rookies in nickel corner roles — Ward and former 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver are examples.

Perhaps Redmond, despite some injury concerns, earns this nod. General manager Trent Baalke (h/t Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News) suggested the possibility after the draft.

Or, perhaps, third-year pro Dontae Johnson — all 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds of him — emerges as the favorable matchup, based on his size and versatility. 2016 could be the year in which he breaks out.

It’s a deep cast. So someone has to emerge out of this bunch, right?

Room for Concern

Defensive backs typically take time to develop. It’s nothing new at the NFL level. Last year could have been the season in which cornerback Kenneth Acker solidified his role with the 49ers defense, although he fell out of favor towards the end of the season.

And fellow corner Keith Reaser — who had just 82 snaps last season, per PFF — could be the latest bust at this position.

Are there more to follow?

Questions abound surrounding Redmond’s health too. And the undersized Robinson, in spite of his potential, has more than a few character concerns as well.

There’s a lot of upside here, but it’s equally matched by high risks.

Next: Right Side of the Offensive Line