49ers’ 2018 ‘Who Is?’ series: Cornerback Tarvarus McFadden

In this edition of Niner Noise’s “Who Is?” series, we look at undrafted free-agent San Francisco 49ers cornerback Tarvarus McFadden and project what he’ll need to do to make the roster in 2018.

It was something of a shock to see now-San Francisco 49ers cornerback Tarvarus McFadden go undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Yet he did, and the Niners swooped in on the priority free agent in an attempt to bolster their young secondary heading into the offseason.

At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, the former Florida State product is the epitome of cornerbacks coordinator Robert Saleh envisions for his Cover 3 defense. Tall, big-bodied defensive backs have made up Saleh’s roster on the outside, and McFadden fits the bill.

And it isn’t as if McFadden’s collegiate efforts go unnoticed, particularly his eight-interception campaign in 2016:

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 6/14/2018.

Yet McFadden went undrafted for a number of reasons. A lack of speed is one concern, and one can question the relative lack of production from his junior year compared to his impressive 2016 campaign.

Nevertheless, McFadden is an enticing player and could be yet another one of those hidden gems San Francisco has managed to find as of late.

He’ll face an uphill battle to crack the 53-man roster, though.

So what will McFadden have to do to make the cut? Let’s take a look.

Why Tarvarus McFadden Improves in 2018

A number of scouting reports, including Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling’s, projected McFadden as a day-two NFL Draft selection.

While there are plenty of reasons for concern, McFadden has more than enough traits to suggest his draft fall was fluky. His size and physicality makes him excellent in press coverage, and the ability to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage should go a long way.

On top of that, he already displayed solid ballhawking abilities with those eight picks two seasons ago. The Niners have lacked a true ballhawk in their secondary prior to 2018. So maybe those tendencies start to reveal themselves again.

Why He Regresses

There’s no getting around the fact McFadden had a poor showing at the NFL Scouting Combine, running a 4.67 40-yard time. Usually, 4.50 is the cutoff for NFL-level cornerbacks.

This translates to some of the issues McFadden experienced at the college level. While he was able to effectively jam receivers at the line of scrimmage, those who got past him created an assortment of problems. McFadden’s recovery speed wasn’t good enough to catch up, which led to him giving up a good deal of touchdowns in 2017.

San Francisco 49ers

Simply put, when McFadden gets beat, it’s bad.

If there’s good news, though, the 49ers play a lot of zone coverage under Saleh. This means McFadden will often be facing the action instead of reacting to routes.

Still, the lack of speed is concerning.

Chances of Making the 49ers’ 53-Man Roster in 2018

McFadden has arguably the best chance out of any UDFA to make the Niners’ 53-man roster this season.

San Francisco stockpiled defensive backs this offseason, including signing All-Pro corner Richard Sherman. Both he and Ahkello Witherspoon are projected to be the team’s starters on the outside, with fellow 2018 rookie Tarvarius Moore supplementing depth.

McFadden’s upside, particularly if he can contribute on special teams, could earn him a nod as the Niners’ No. 5 or No. 6 corner on the depth chart.

Right now, we should look at McFadden as a bubble-watch candidate. Yet a strong showing in training camp and throughout the preseason could keep him on the stronger side of things.

Next: 5 most important 49ers players for a 2018 playoff run

And if all that goes well, the Niners may have a solid developmental candidate with an upside of being a possible starter in a couple of years.