Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Grading the 2017 NFL Draft class after one full year

By Peter Panacy

Solomon Thomas of Stanford with Commissioner of the National Football League Roger Goodell after being picked #3 overall by the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
Solomon Thomas of Stanford with Commissioner of the National Football League Roger Goodell after being picked #3 overall by the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Ahkello Witherspoon #23 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after defending a pass against the New York Giants during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on November 12, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Ahkello Witherspoon #23 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after defending a pass against the New York Giants during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on November 12, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

B+. . Cornerback. Colorado. AHKELLO WITHERSPOON

Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon might have gotten off to a rough start in training camp, and he started off his rookie campaign a frequent member of the 49ers’ inactive list.

By season’s end, though, Witherspoon appeared in 12 games and started nine of them as the team’s No. 1 cornerback. And his sharp ascendance allowed the Niners to part ways with the penalty-prone Rashard Robinson midseason.

Witherspoon finished 2017 with 28 tackles. His seven passes defended and two interceptions were both tied for the team lead.

But more impressively, Witherspoon finished with a respectable 81.1 overall grade on the year, per Pro Football Focus, highest among all San Francisco corners this season.

The sluggish start to the year is the only reason Witherspoon doesn’t receive an A-grade on the year, although it certainly appears the 49ers found a quality starter in the middle rounds.