Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the top 25 players for 2018

By Chris Wilson

SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 20: DeForest Buckner #99 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after he sacked Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium on November 20, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 20: DeForest Buckner #99 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after he sacked Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium on November 20, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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San Francisco 49ers Adrian Colbert
SANTA CLARA, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Adrian Colbert #38 of the San Francisco 49ers breaks up a pass intended for Tavarres King #12 of the New York Giants during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on November 12, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

14. FS Adrian Colbert

Lynch and Shanahan appear to have struck gold with last year’s seventh-round draft pick, defensive back Adrian Colbert.

Last offseason, one of the biggest concerns surrounding the 49ers’ transition to defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s Cover-3 Press defensive scheme was the team’s search for a free safety to police the deep third of the field.

Ward was the Niners’ initial solution at free safety, but after his season was limited to just six starts, the 49ers gave Colbert a shot at the starting job. The result was an improvement at the position, which helped translate to improved play by the entire secondary.

While Saleh did modify portions of his defensive system in order to limit some of the free safety’s responsibilities, it remained one of the most important positions on the field. Colbert certainly impressed during the opportunity he was given last season, and has the upper hand over Ward to begin the season as the team’s starter, particularly due to the financial discrepancies in their respective contracts.