Looking at the secondary depth for the 49ers in 2018

With brand new additions to the San Francisco 49ers’ secondary galore this offseason, Niner Noise examines the revamped depth of the unit heading into 2018.

The problem I have always seen in this San Francisco 49ers team ever since I started watching football has resided in the secondary unit of the defense.

It was especially frustrating watching former Niners corners Tramaine Brock and Kenneth Acker constantly burned by every wide receiver they faced while, at the same time, I was watching other teams’ secondaries — such as the Seattle Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom” —  flourish and shut down opposing receivers.

Little did I know the most crucial piece of the Legion of Boom would be joining my favorite team in the near future, cornerback Richard Sherman.

General manager John Lynch, with the help of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, have infused new life into this secondary, starting with Sherman, who I believe is still one of the best cornerbacks in the game.

Once Sherman was released by the Seahawks, I, like Lynch immediately pursuing him in free agency, immediately wrote an article on why the 49ers should sign the three-time All-Pro, where you can read here.

Starting alongside Sherman at outside cornerback in 2018 will be Ahkello Witherspoon, the tall and lanky second-year player who looked like a bust early on in his rookie season, but really came on as the season progressed and worked his way towards a starting role, where he excelled at.

The sky is the limit for Witherspoon. And with Sherman taking on a mentorship role, there is no doubt that the ex-Colorado Buffalo will only improve in 2018.

Moving on to backup outside cornerbacks, Tarvarius Moore, the 49ers’ third-round pick this year, possesses incredible tangibles, coming in at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds while having a 4.32 40-yard dash time. He played safety at college. But watching his tape, he seemed more like a natural fit at cornerback, and it appears to be the case that Saleh will indeed utilize him at cornerback.

Moore is a very versatile piece in the secondary who will provide solid, if not great, depth.

Obviously I cannot forget Tarvarus McFadden, the undrafted free-agent cornerback out of Florida State University. McFadden is a true ballhawk and is genuinely superior in his coverage on opposing receivers. Most draft analysts were expecting him to be drafted, but he miraculously fell through and into San Francisco’s laps.

McFadden has true potential to develop into a future starting cornerback. I’m excited about him.

Slot cornerback is a position that I am supremely confident in. K’Waun Williams, Lynch’s first free-agent signing back in 2017, proved to be a very good addition to the secondary and even played his way to a contract extension.

Rookie D.J. Reed will back up Williams at slot cornerback, but I want Saleh to employ him in the secondary as much as possible. Reed claims that he is a lockdown corner and he backs it up on the field. He possesses exemplary awareness on the field to go with his infectious confidence. The kid is NFL-ready, which is rare to say about a player drafted in the fifth round.

When you can confidently say that you have two very viable starters at the slot cornerback position, you know that your secondary is set.

Last, but definitely not least, the safety position — the enforcers in the defensive backfield — is one that I am also incredibly confident in.

Jaquiski Tartt has quietly emerged as one of the best safeties in the league. The lethal combination of awareness, coverage skills and solid tackling technique that he owns has proven his worth on this team as not just a rare Trent Baalke gem, but a surefire blue-chip piece on the defense.

There were many great rookies last season regarded as steals in the draft, but whom I believe is the real steal of the 2017 draft is Adrian Colbert, drafted in the seventh round.

Colbert is the second coming of the Seahawks’ Kam Chancellor, another member of the aforementioned Legion of Boom. And yes, I am aware Keanu Neal, strong safety on the Atlanta Falcons, is more widely regarded as Chancellor “2.0,” but Colbert hits even harder than Neal does, which is hard to do.

The safety is supposed to establish the defense’s dominance on opposing receivers. Colbert is the ideal player to do just that.

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Thanks to Lynch and Saleh, this team’s secondary is now extremely versatile and possesses great depth behind its excellent starters.

The potential that this unit has is off the charts, and it is what could lead this team to a championship.