San Francisco 49ers: Creating the ideal starting defense in 2019

Secondary

Boundary Cornerbacks: Richard Sherman, Ahkello Witherspoon

Nickel Cornerback: K’Waun Williams

Strong Safety: Jaquiski Tartt

Free Safety: Earl Thomas

OK, the secondary gets a bit trickier. Before jumping to massive conclusions about inserting defensive backs Ahkello Witherspoon, K’Waun Williams and Jaquiski Tartt into starting roles, we’ll have to see how a disruptive pass rush up front impacts these three players’ abilities.

San Francisco 49ers

A cornerback might be seen as a top need in this year’s NFL Draft. But after spending two third-round picks in consecutive years (Witherspoon in 2017 and Tarvarius Moore in 2018), one has to think the 49ers may be a bit more patient. Depth is a concern, sure. So don’t count out reserve defensive backs such as Moore, D.J. Reed and Marcell Harris possibly earning their way into a starting job this summer.

In truth, the Niners have only one shoo-in starter in the secondary, veteran corner Richard Sherman. He was more than effective shutting down his side of the field in 2018. But now San Francisco will need him to do some recruiting pitches.

Namely, landing his former Seattle Seahawks teammate, safety Earl Thomas.

Back to Brad Almquist’s breakdown:

"Thomas’ current situation mirrors Richard Sherman’s last year. Both stars grew disgruntled with the Seahawks as the team did not prioritize re-signing them. Thomas, who was last seen flipping off the Seattle sideline as he was carted off the field, is likely to look for a landing spot. Look no farther than San Francisco, Sherman’s new home, a 4-3 scheme Thomas helped popularize, and two yearly opportunities to exact revenge upon Seattle."

Bingo.

Thomas would be the linchpin of the 49ers defense. And paired with a beefed-up front seven, the Niners would be en route to a complete turnaround on that side of the ball in 2019.

Line up the phone calls, Niners. These moves would help immensely.