San Francisco 49ers: Undrafted free agents with best chance to make 2019 roster
By Peter Panacy
As is the case with linebacker, the 49ers have their ideal depth chart set at both the strong and free safety spots heading into offseason programs.
For the back end here, Jimmie Ward and Adrian Colbert are poised to battle it out for the starting job, while second-year pro D.J. Reed serves as a backup option. Reed, however, showed better at nickel cornerback, and it seems likely the Niners want to keep him in that role for now.
Both Ward and Colbert are coming off 2018 injuries, however. And while both appear fully healthy for training camp, there’s always the possibility San Francisco wants to stockpile some depth when the regular season rolls around.
Enter Wake Forest’s Cameron Glenn.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Glenn has good center-field range for a player of his size, and he’s not afraid to use his body, physically, especially in run-defense situations. He posted 98 tackles in both 2017 and 2018, too, which is a good number for a back-end safety.
While Glenn might not be the best coverage option out there, his physicality and reaction to plays in front of him should help bolster his shot, especially if he winds up being a useful special teams contributor.
Plus, adding depth to a position with recent injury history is never a bad idea.