San Francisco 49ers: Predicting the secondary depth chart after 2018 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
Nickel Cornerback
Starter: K’Waun Williams
Backup: D.J. Reed
With the majority of teams utilizing three-wide receiver sets today, the nickel cornerback has essentially become a starting position in today’s NFL.
And an important one.
A year ago, San Francisco inked former Cleveland Browns cornerback K’Waun Williams to a free-agent deal. While his 2017 campaign got off to a sluggish start, Williams eventually finished with an 81.1 overall Pro Football Focus grade — 42nd best among all qualifying cornerbacks.
This inevitably led to the 49ers inking Williams to a three-year extension through 2020, and it’s more than likely he starts at nickel this upcoming season.
Yet San Francisco might have found Williams’ eventual replacement, grabbing Kansas State defensive back D.J. Reed in Round 5 of the 2018 NFL Draft. Reed is a prototypical slot corner, standing at 5-foot-9 and 188 pounds but playing much bigger than his smallish stature would indicate.
He likely starts his NFL career as a backup and serving on special teams. But he could possibly push Williams out of the picture in 2019 or 2020.
Another player to watch here is undrafted free-agent corner Emmanuel Moseley out of Tennessee. He likely makes it no further than the practice squad, yet he’s still a name to watch in training camp.