Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the top 5 roster needs for 2019

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions is sacked by Cassius Marsh #54 of the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on September 16, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions is sacked by Cassius Marsh #54 of the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on September 16, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FL – NOVEMBER 25: Wide receiver Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers makes the first down catch as cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon #23 of the San Francisco 49ers gets charged with pass interference in the fourth quarter of the game at Raymond James Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the San Francisco 49ers 27-9. (Photo by Will Vragovic/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL – NOVEMBER 25: Wide receiver Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers makes the first down catch as cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon #23 of the San Francisco 49ers gets charged with pass interference in the fourth quarter of the game at Raymond James Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the San Francisco 49ers 27-9. (Photo by Will Vragovic/Getty Images) /

No. 4: Cornerback

Outside of veteran cornerback Richard Sherman, few of the 49ers’ defensive backs enjoyed any sort of regular success over the course of 2018. Second-year cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon went through a major regression after his promising rookie campaign, being ranked by Pro Football Focus dead last in the league out of 112 qualifiers.

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Witherspoon also led all Niners players with seven penalties accepted against him.

Fortunately, Witherspoon bounced back somewhat towards the end of the year before landing on injured reserve. And the hope is he’ll revert to the kind of prowess shown back in 2017, although that’s no guarantee.

One of the chief problems for San Francisco here is the lack of proven depth behind him. Last year, the 49ers selected former collegiate safety Tarvarius Moore to groom into a boundary corner role. Like Witherspoon bouncing back, this experiment with Moore could work out well enough, given time.

Yet it’s just as feasible neither Witherspoon nor Moore emerge as a solid starting option outside Sherman, let alone someone capable of replacing him in a few years’ time.