Niner Noise
FanSided

Projected 49ers Week 1 starting lineup halfway through 2018 preseason

By Peter Panacy

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 31: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 hands off to Carlos Hyde #28 of the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 31: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 hands off to Carlos Hyde #28 of the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – OCTOBER 22: Richard Sherman #25 of the Seattle Seahawks stands on the field before their game against the San Francisco 49ers 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 stands on the field before their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on October 22, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Cornerback

Left Cornerback: Richard Sherman

Right Cornerback: Ahkello Witherspoon

Nickel Cornerback: K’Waun Williams

At least the 49ers’ starters at cornerback are set. Like safety, however, there are more than a few concerns regarding depth.

San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco’s boundary corners are going to be Richard Sherman and Ahkello Witherspoon, without question. Sherman, who suffered a torn Achilles in 2017 and was set back by a hamstring injury earlier in training camp, will make his preseason debut against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Niners defense, which incorporates a lot of zone, intends to line Sherman up on the left side of the field, while Witherspoon plays on the opposite end. Witherspoon has had an up-and-down camp so far, although he did manage to record a nice pass breakup during the 49ers’ 16-13 exhibition loss to the Houston Texans not long ago.

With so many teams using three-wide sets, the nickel cornerback job is essentially viewed as a starting position now. K’Waun Williams, who injured his ankle earlier in training camp, has missed the Niners’ first two exhibition bouts. He’ll likely be ready for the regular season, though, and it’s not likely the rookie, D.J. Reed, assumes a starting spot early on.

Speaking of James, the 49ers have a lot of younger defensive backs behind this starting trio. First-year corners often struggle transitioning to the pros, so consider this another position San Francisco hopes stays healthy over the course of 2018.