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San Francisco 49ers: Predicting the secondary depth chart after 2018 NFL Draft

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 22: Richard Sherman #25 of the Seattle Seahawks reacts to a play against the San Francisco 49ers during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on October 22, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 22: Richard Sherman #25 of the Seattle Seahawks reacts to a play against the San Francisco 49ers during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on October 22, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – JANUARY 03: Tre Mason #27 of the St. Louis Rams rushes with the ball against Jimmie Ward #25 of the San Francisco 49ers during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on January 3, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – JANUARY 03: Tre Mason #27 of the St. Louis Rams rushes with the ball against Jimmie Ward #25 of the San Francisco 49ers during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on January 3, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Secondary X-Factors for the 49ers

The Niners suffered a great deal of attrition in their defensive backfield last season, and it’s easy to surmise this position wasn’t one of strength in 2017.

Adrian Colbert, Ahkello Witherspoon and, to a smaller extent, K’Waun Williams were among the few feel-good stories for San Francisco in the secondary. This was a unit that allowed an average of 6.6 pass yards per attempt last season — 24th best in the NFL.

Coverage corners are a necessity in a Cover 3 scheme, which is what the 49ers operate. Staying healthy is a priority too, which leads us to the first X-factor for San Francisco.

The Injury Bug

Richard Sherman’s 2017 Achilles injury is a concern. All signs are pointing to Sherman recovering well ahead of schedule, but it’s partially the reason why his three-year deal with San Francisco this offseason was laden with incentives.

Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt also suffered broken forearms last year. Chronic injuries haven’t been a problem with Tartt, but that’s not the case with Ward.

And grabbing Marcell Harris (Achilles) was also a bit of a risky move. It might not prevent him from taking the field this season, but there are legitimate concerns how NFL ready he’ll be.

Rookies Transitioning to the Pros

Back in 2016, then-Niner Noise’s Nicholas McGee broke down how first-year defensive backs often struggle with transitioning to the NFL ranks. It’s not hard to understand, really. The level of competition is much higher, receivers are bigger and run far more complex route trees.

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Rare are the first-year corners, who make an immediate impact at the pro level. The 49ers got a bit lucky with Ahkello Witherspoon in Round 3 last year.

The Niners could have as many as four rookie defensive backs on their 53-man roster this year. Opponents won’t hesitate to exploit a rookie’s inexperience, if the chances present themselves, which is why the returning veterans need to stay healthy.

Jimmie Ward

Heading into a contract year, Ward has more than enough incentive to live up to his first-round draft status. Injury history aside, Ward’s versatility to play all three cornerback slots, as well as free safety, lends value to San Francisco’s defense.

The Niners have indicated they’ll try him at corner this season, although it’s hard to envision him pushing out Sherman, Witherspoon or Williams outside of an injury.

If anything, this prompts the notion Ward will engage in one of the more enticing camp competitions we’ll see between now and Week 1. On one hand, it’s good the 49ers have veteran depth.

Next: 3 biggest questions facing the 49ers after the 2018 NFL Draft

But there are as equally as perplexing concerns facing the defense too. And those should be the primary concerns heading into summer.