49ers: Who is San Francisco cornerback Zach Franklin?

Niner Noise’s annual “Who Is?” series on 2017 San Francisco 49ers players rolls along. And in this installment, we look at undrafted free-agent cornerback Zach Franklin and his impact.

The San Francisco 49ers had one of the better undrafted free-agent hauls following the 2017 NFL Draft, and former Washburn defensive back Zach Franklin is among those vying for a roster spot this upcoming season.

Franklin, a four-year collegiate contributor, totaled 109 tackles and four interceptions at Washburn.

And the Niners hope this kind of ability helps him work into the back end of San Francisco’s depth chart in the secondary.

San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

At 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Franklin might be best suited to play on the inside in either nickel or dime defenses. While he does have some experience at safety, it’s likely Franklin sticks to a cornerback role at the pro level.

UDFAs are frequently long shots to make a 53-man roster. But let’s see if Franklin has a chance to turn some heads this training camp and preseason.

Why He’ll Improve

Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s Cover 3 defense will mean San Francisco defensive backs will frequently operate in one-on-one coverage this year. There won’t be as much over-the-top help, so corners have to be able to stay with their receivers as long as possible.

According to Franklin’s scouting report, from DraftAnalyst.com, the 23-year-old defensive back is “smooth flipping his hips, fast moving in reverse and keeps the receiver in front of him,” and “loses nothing transitioning to run with opponents and shows the ability to stay on the receiver’s hip out of breaks.”

Based off this alone, one can assume Franklin doesn’t have too much trouble staying with a receiver.

And it isn’t as if the 49ers are locked in on the back end of their depth chart here. While cornerbacks Rashard Robinson, Ahkello Witherspoon and, most likely, Keith Reaser are cemented as roster additions, the remaining crop has yet to be determined.

Increasing Franklin’s chances to make the roster is his ability to contribute on special teams — something he did while at Washburn.

Why He’ll Regress

While Franklin’s smallish frame may prevent him from covering big-bodied receivers at the NFL level, one shouldn’t go as far as saying he’s an ideal nickel corner either.

The same scouting report cites Franklin’s difficulties with jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage, so strength could be an issue.

Additionally, Franklin’s straight-line speed isn’t exactly top tier. His 4.55 40-yard time isn’t exactly ideal, which means he may have some trouble facing off against the faster levels of competition in the pro game.

The lack of notable contribution Washburn faced over the last few years also means Franklin is likely in for steep learning curve.

With most rookie defensive backs taking time to adjust from collegiate coverage schemes to the pros, how long will San Francisco invest in this project piece?

What to Expect in 2017

One of the best things in Franklin’s favor are his special teams and kick-returning abilities.

Unless he wows on a regular basis in training camp and the preseason, he still remains a long shot to make the 53-man roster this year. At best, Franklin’s best hopes to crack an NFL regular-season lineup would be to marinate a season, or two, on a practice squad.

More from Niner Noise

The 49ers will likely ask Franklin to bulk up a bit, which will undoubtedly help his ability to hold his own against the stronger competition he’ll face from this point forward.

Still, Franklin is a project piece but one with some upside.

Next: 5 bold predictions for the 49ers roster in 2017

Expect him to get some chances this preseason. If that works out well enough, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him on the practice squad in 2017.

San Francisco 49ers: Who is cornerback Zach Franklin?

By Peter Panacy | May 25, 2017