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’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.