49ers 2017 Season: San Francisco’s new pass defense
By Jonah Burros
Cover players
Mike
The responsibilities of the MIKE LB should fall solely on the shoulders of NaVorro Bowman this year.
Should he fall, the best man would be promoted. Enough said.
Safeties
With my previous statement about this position being mostly interchangeable, I still must address the fact before anything happened in the draft or with Jimmie Ward‘s contract, it was announced that Eric Reid was being moved to strong safety from free safety. What does this mean?
This means that the mathematicians that look at the tendencies of all the teams in the NFL know that the strong side of the offensive sets, more often than not, line up on the right. Yes, it could be as simple as that.
With Ward being the projected free safety, his elite coverage and speed skills could serve more lucrative at free safety, where Eric Reid’s size and run-stopping ability might be better utilized more often closer to the line of scrimmage.
After these two projected starters, there was some movement to address the depth at the position in the last round and in the pursuit of undrafted free agents.
Adrian Colbert was selected in Round 7 and has many of the measurable to play across the secondary. At 6-foot-0 and 200 pounds, with a 4.40 40-yard dash, he fits many profiles. His lack of playing experience at Miami severely reduced his value in the draft and caused him to fall. Overall he could prove to be a very versatile player and add depth at safety.
Lorenzo Jerome was projected as a top 100 prospect of Mike Mayock’s draft board but fell out of favor with teams because of his lack of speed. His original ranking was placed because of his instincts and nose for the ball and he could prove to be a steal.
Corners
Last year, there was a stand-out at corner that almost made people say that former general manager Trent Baalke did something right. Please consider that I said almost.
Rashard Robinson showed enough promise last year that he is considered to be the run-away favorite for the No. 1 CB position. He is long and scrappy and can run with receivers while making their catches difficult. He has put on weight since college and might prove to be a star.
Opposite of Robinson is the glaring question. Dontae Johnson and Keith Reaser have spent the past couple of years on the roster and both have size. Neither one was comforting enough for the new 49ers brass to not address the CB position in the draft.
The 49ers selected Ahkello Whitherspoon in the third round this year, and his college numbers and measurables say why. At 6-foot-3 and 198 pounds, he has the size this defense is looking for.
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Add his measurables to the fact that he lead the nation with a staggering 23 passes defended last year, he has the potential to be the other side of a great CB tandem.
The knock on Witherspoon is his aggressiveness, as a medical student and future proclaimed doctor he comes across as more of a cerebral player than a physical one. This is an issue that could easily be remedied by the locker room and time on the field with the surrounding cast. His mental acumen could prove to be his greatest asset in the future.
With a single offseason to address the needs of the pass defense, there is a lot to be excited about when you look at the full picture and all that was accomplished. There is much more that can be done in the upcoming years but my hat is off to this new regime and I look forward to watching the first step in this growing process.
Next: 49ers 2017: The new passing game
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