San Francisco 49ers: Who is defensive back Adrian Colbert?
By Peter Panacy
Niner Noise’s annual “Who Is?” series on San Francisco 49ers players in 2017 takes a look at rookie defensive back Adrian Colbert and his fit on the team’s roster.
San Francisco 49ers rookie defensive back Adrian Colbert has the semi-unfortunate luxury of being the final player the team selected in the 2017 NFL Draft.
But on the other hand, Colbert was drafted.
Taken in Round 7 at No. 229 overall, Colbert’s chances of making the 53-man roster this season are slim.
Yet there is a lot to like about the 6-foot-0, 200-pound defensive back out of Miami.
Colbert transferred from Texas to Miami in advance of his senior season. His first three collegiate years saw him play primarily on special teams. So the move was definitely good for him, as his stats took a slight hike:
| Tackles | Def Int | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF |
| *2013 | Texas | Big 12 | FR | S | 7 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| *2014 | Texas | Big 12 | SO | S | 8 | 16 | 4 | 20 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2015 | Texas | Big 12 | JR | S | |||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Miami (FL) | ACC | SR | DB | 7 | 13 | 9 | 22 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 1 | 46 | 46.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Career | Overall | 33 | 15 | 48 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 2 | 46 | 23.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Texas | 20 | 6 | 26 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Miami (FL) | 13 | 9 | 22 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 1 | 46 | 46.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 5/19/2017.
He also has the flexibility to play at either safety or cornerback, which may entice San Francisco’s coaching staff to give him an extended look this season.
Why He’ll Improve
Needless to say, Colbert is motivated.
As his name continued to slip during the draft, Colbert’s frustrations poured over into his Twitter account:
Every team that passes on me will regret it....mark my words
— ADRIAN COLBERT (@AdrianColbert27) April 29, 2017
But the 49ers bit, and Colbert now finds himself in Santa Clara.
One of the attributes the Niners likely saw was his speed. Colbert ran a 4.40 40-yard time at his pro day, and his frame is an ideal size for safety or even corner.
It’s also hard to overlook his ball skills, as illustrated in this clip from Dylan DeSimone:
Colbert’s experience on special teams will also help. While we wouldn’t expect him to overtake someone like safeties Jimmie Ward or Eric Reid on the depth chart, Ward could slip in as a No. 4 safety his rookie season if things go well in training camp.
Why He’ll Regress
While Colbert’s speed and physique make him an enticing talent, the former Miami product does have tackling issues.
This problem won’t get any easier at the pro level, as NFL receivers run more complex routes and are, of course, more prolific than what Colbert saw in college.
In addition, the lack of actual defensive experience could pose a bit of a problem. Remember, Colbert was only a regular contributor just one season out of his four-year collegiate career. He may not be anywhere near as polished defending routes and managing bigger receivers.
As a safety, Colbert isn’t quite big enough to play in the box. Likely a free safety position would be more ideal. Acting as the last line of defense though, Colbert may wind up being more of a liability than anything else.
And those coverage skills, or lack thereof, could prove problematic if San Francisco tries him out at cornerback.
What to Expect in 2017
Colbert is a long shot to make the 49ers’ 53-man roster his rookie season. Players like Ward are already cemented in what may be Colbert’s best fit, positionally.
And it’s not likely the Niners are penciling in Colbert as the team’s primary backup to Ward either.
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Even if Colbert latches on the regular-season roster as a cornerback — the depth competition here is wide open still — it’s hard to see him being anything more than a special teams contributor and No. 5 option buried deep on the depth chart.
What’s more likely is Colbert lands on San Francisco’s practice squad this season. He has enough tools to warrant development and continued experimentation for the organization beyond 2017.
Next: 49ers' strengths, weaknesses and X-factors in 2017
And with some improvement in both coverage and tackling tendencies, perhaps Colbert winds up being a notable contributor a couple of years down the road.