5 49ers players with a lot to prove in 2019 regular season
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers made a number of key moves in free agency and will do more in the NFL Draft, meaning these five will need to showcase a lot in 2019 to improve their stock value.
On the one hand, the numerous moves the San Francisco 49ers made during the opening phase of NFL free agency help improve what was a 4-12 roster a year ago.
And with six picks, the Niners will do even more in April’s NFL Draft.
With these additions, however, some players will be pushed to the periphery and onto the roster bubble heading into training camp. Case in point, the trade acquisition of EDGE Dee Ford led to San Francisco parting ways with its former weak-side edge rusher, Cassius Marsh, shortly after Ford’s addition.
Marsh will at least get a jump start on signing with another team. For others, however, they’ll need a better-than-solid effort during training camp and the regular season to ensure they either stick around on the 49ers roster, or at least impress one of the other 31 squads across the league.
These five players have a lot hinging on their 2019 efforts.
No. 5: Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon
The Niners’ addition of veteran cornerback Jason Verrett isn’t an immediate danger to third-year corner Ahkello Witherspoon, but it’s not exactly good news either.
Verrett’s injury history — he’s played just five games since 2016 and missed all of 2018 with a ruptured Achilles — means Witherspoon’s role will still be important. But after finishing last year with the lowliest of low 44.9 overall Pro Football Focus grade, 2019 will be a pretty big indicator whether or not the 49ers’ No. 2 cornerback will be a part of the team’s long-term plans.
The good news, though, is Witherspoon finished the year on a strong note before landing on injured reserve at the tail end of 2018. If that’s the kind of production one can expect from Witherspoon in his third year, his chances of starting this season and beyond should rise considerably.
If not, and Witherspoon looks more like the oft-beat defensive back he was for much of last year, San Francisco will be forced to consider other more-reliable options.
And soon.