San Francisco 49ers: Who is cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon?
By Peter Panacy
Niner Noise’s annual “Who Is?” series on San Francisco 49ers players this season looks at rookie cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon and his chances to start in 2017.
The San Francisco 49ers were in need of good cornerbacks heading into the 2017 NFL Draft, and picking up former Colorado standout Ahkello Witherspoon was as good as an idea general manager John Lynch could have had in Round 3.
Witherspoon was even a draft crush of former Niner Noise contributor Akash Anavarathan, who wrote:
"Defensive backs Will Redmond, Dontae Johnson and Keith Reaser haven’t developed yet, and it may be time to add another young cornerback to the mix.Colorado’s Ahkello Witherspoon isn’t a finished product, he has good size, speed and length, but still has some tackling issues that need improvement."
Witherspoon’s collegiate numbers don’t suggest much of a ballhawk. But those 19 passes defended in 2016 are sure worth noting:
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 7/7/2017.
At 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Witherspoon has good size to match up as an outside corner in Cover 3 schemes.
So how much will the rookie’s skill set translate over to the NFL level, and when can we expect him to start?
Why He’ll Improve
Part of Witherspoon’s impressive rapport included a 40.5-inch vertical at the NFL Scouting Combine — tops among all participating cornerbacks.
This likely explains his ability to get in the way of passes, which should assist him in his road to a starting job with San Francisco. And his 4.45 40-yard time is a good indication he can stay with the majority of big-bodied receivers he’ll face at the pro level.
These attributes, as well as his fluidity to stay with receivers, helps explain another noteworthy stat.
According to Pro Football Focus, Witherspoon allowed completions just 31.8 percent of the time — fifth best in college football last year. And PFF also pointed out how the rookie doesn’t tend to bite on double moves, which is often a major growing pain for young defensive backs entering the NFL ranks.
Why He’ll Regress
Even if Witherspoon has the mental smarts above many young corners, adjusting to the pro ranks will be a process.
NFL route trees are far more complex than anything Witherspoon encountered in college, and we should expect this to affect his ability to immediately emerge as a true shutdown corner in year one.
There’s another knock against Witherspoon’s game — defending against the run.
Many scouting reports, including NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, see Witherspoon’s run defense as a major issue. In addition, Witherspoon could play with a bit more aggression and meanness to his game.
Two things could help here. First, adding some bulk to his 195-pound frame could make that height advantage all the more dominant. But Witherspoon could also learn some of the ferocity from fellow Niners cornerback, Rashard Robinson, whose aggression on the field isn’t in question.
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What to Expect in 2017
It’s not likely Witherspoon takes starter’s reps to kick off his rookie season. Instead, the Niners will start either Keith Reaser or Dontae Johnson opposite Robinson until the rookie has shown enough development for consideration.
As far as roster spots go, Witherspoon is as safe as it gets. So don’t look for him to be on any sort of bubble entering training camp.
For the long-term prognosis, Witherspoon and Robinson would be the team’s starting corners. Each has the skill set required to play one-on-one coverages, which the Niners will do plenty of this season.
The only question is when Witherspoon gets the starting nod.
An educated guess would suggest after the 49ers’ bye in Week 11. The more difficult matchups on the season have since passed, and Witherspoon could be eased into the mix at a time where 2018 development is more critical.
Next: 49ers pass defense emulates a division rival
If it works out, Witherspoon winds up being the team’s starting cornerback for the foreseeable future.