San Francisco 49ers: 2018 midterm report-card grades by position

Outside of the 49ers’ No. 1 cornerback, Richard Sherman, there hasn’t exactly been a lot to brag about at this position.

Second-year corner Ahkello Witherspoon certainly had a forgettable start to 2018, kicking off things as a starter before being rotated in and out of the lineup in favor of the veteran, Jimmie Ward, eventually being demoted to just special teams.

Attrition in the secondary has forced Witherspoon back into a starter’s role, and he’s picked things up a bit the last two weeks. So that’s good. But Pro Football Focus still ranks him the No. 102 cornerback out of 110 qualifiers halfway through 2018. That’s not good.

Tack on cornerback to the long list of Niners needs too.

Sherman has allowed just six receptions on 17 targets, so he’s doing his job when on the field. The problem, however, is he’s been hampered by a calf injury and has missed two-plus games with it. When he’s been absent, the Niners pass defense has been much more susceptible.

And just like safety, there is a clear lack of depth behind the starting-caliber players.