San Francisco 49ers: Predicting the 2019 cornerback depth chart

Improving the 49ers’ secondary

Although the 49ers’ secondary finished the season at the bottom of PFF’s ranking system, San Francisco didn’t have the worst secondary the league in 2018, even with the multitude of injuries the team was forced to endure.

The Niners’ pass defense wasn’t good in 2018, but the NFL was full of poor secondaries that allowed opposing offenses to drive down the field at will as quarterbacks racked up yardage and completions at epic rates.

While the 49ers’ young secondary had their share of miscues and missed assignments, a number of teams struggled to move the ball through the air against San Francisco last season, as the Niners ranked in the top half of the league in passing yardage allowed and opposing quarterback completion percentage.

The 49ers lacked stability at safety in 2018, as injuries forced the team to cycle through seven different starters throughout the season. Given their lack of experience at the position, San Francisco’s safeties performed admirably over the course of the year. The injury bug also hit the Niners at the cornerback position, where the team also started seven different defenders.

Beyond the team’s youth and ongoing injury problems, the 49ers’ secondary received a failing grade in 2018 due to a lack of takeaways, struggles on third down and mistakes in the red zone.

However, San Francisco’s turnover issues should improve next season, given the overall randomness of takeaways and an expected improved pass rush, which should also help the team’s third-down defense. And as the 2018 NFL season progressed, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh demonstrated the ability to learn from his mistakes and adapt his defensive scheme.

There is hope for the 49ers in the third year of their rebuild, provided San Francisco’s front office makes the appropriate personnel changes during free agency and the 2019 NFL Draft.

At safety, a splash signing like free agent Earl Thomas would provide an immediate fix at the position, but the team’s cornerback issues are a bit more complex. With free agency and the draft on the horizon, here’s how the San Francisco 49ers’ cornerback depth chart is likely to pan out in 2019: