San Francisco 49ers: Positional Progress Report for First Quarter of 2016
By Peter Panacy
Defensive Backs
Oh, for all the efforts general manager Trent Baalke has made to upgrade and reinforce the secondary.
There are a couple of bright spots here. Safety Eric Reid is looking more like first-round talent and seems to be thriving in defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil’s scheme. And rookie corner Rashard Robinson is also coming into his own.
The rest? Well, it’s not great.
Up to Par
Robinson is currently tied for the team lead in pass breakups (three). And it’s only a matter of time before he takes over for veteran corner Tramaine Brock, who has 61.3 grade on the year, per Pro Football Focus. Robinson has an 84.5 mark through four weeks.
Prior to being injured, cornerback Jimmie Ward was also carrying over his success from 2015.
As a whole, the Niners defense has only allowed 998 yards through the air — good for 13th in the league.
Needing Improvement
Still not sure why Brock is starting at this point. And while veteran safety Antoine Bethea has had his share of struggles, second-year pro Jaquiski Tartt hasn’t done much of anything to suggest he’s a legitimate long-term replacement yet.
Slot corner Chris Davis has been the worst 49ers defensive back, per PFF, which might open the door for Ward to return in the nickel and Robinson to take over on the outside.
Oh, and some of those blown coverages need fixing too.