49ers’ 2018 ‘Who Is?’ series: Safety Corey Griffin

Niner Noise’s annual “Who Is?” series looks at rookie San Francisco 49ers safety Corey Griffin, an undrafted free agent, and projects his possible role in 2018.

The secondary was a particular problem area for the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, so it makes sense the Niners used both free agency and the 2018 NFL Draft to stockpile more than a handful of defensive backs.

One of those is former Georgia Tech safety Corey Griffin, whom San Francisco grabbed as an undrafted free agent.

Griffin logged four seasons with the Yellow Jackets, accumulating 125 tackles, three interceptions and seven passes defended over that span:

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 5/30/2018.

At 6-foot-2 and 199 pounds, Griffin embodies the big-bodied build the Niners have started to incorporate within their secondary under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.

And it isn’t as if safety is without question marks. A year ago, the 49ers lost veteran safeties Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt to season-ending arm injuries. Fellow safety Eric Reid also departed via free agency.

This aids Griffin’s chances to make the 53-man roster to a small extent. But what will he have to do to stand out?

Let’s take a look at the upside, downside and chances to hang around into the regular season.

Why Corey Griffin Improves in 2018

Griffin ran a 4.56 40-yard time at his pro day, so it’s not quite as if he has speed on his side.

He makes up for this, though, by his awareness. Griffin’s DraftAnalyst.com profile had the following to say about him:

"Nice-sized safety with average speed. Instinctive, remains disciplined with assignments and keeps the action in front of him. Displays a solid burst of closing and recovery speed and plays faster than his 40 time. Plays heads-up football, reads the quarterbacks eyes in coverage and does a good job recognizing routes in zone. Wraps up tackling and brings opponents down in the open field."

The solid tackling is evidenced by his 125 total tackles, including two years as a starter for Georgia Tech.

Saleh’s Cover 3 defense incorporates a lot of zone coverage, and it seems to be here is where Griffin plays his best. If that’s what he capitalizes on during training camp and the preseason, he’ll stand out in a positive light.

Why He Regresses

Griffin may make up for his relative lack of speed with good instincts. But his Draft Analyst profile also points out he does “more chasing than playmaking” while pursuing targets.

San Francisco 49ers

Because of this, it’s likely Griffin will struggle with the more complex route trees he’ll face at the NFL level.

Additionally, the Niners’ stockpiling of defensive backs this offseason will surely push Griffin down the depth chart. He won’t get much work with first- and second-team units during camp, meaning his chances to impress the coaching staff will be limited at best.

Chances of Making the 49ers’ 53-Man Roster

They’re slim. Griffin, right now, has to be classified as a long shot to make the 53-man roster in 2018. If he does, it’s likely he winds up being a special teams contributor. And even that crop is starting to look pretty crowded.

San Francisco already has Tartt and Ward in the mix, as well as 2017 standout Adrian Colbert. Tack on other 2018 rookies, such as third-round draftee Tarvarius Moore, and the camp competition is going to be pretty heated for just one or two spots on the defensive back depth chart.

In all likelihood, Griffin gets his share of chances late in preseason games. But at this point, he’s probably best slated for practice squad candidacy.

Yet if the Niners go through some of the same attrition at safety this year, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Griffin get some extra looks.

Next: Thoughts and news on 49ers OTAs so far

The 49ers aren’t hoping for that scenario, though.