3 reasons why 49ers’ Ahkello Witherspoon improves in 2019
No. 1: Can’t get much worse
Sure, this might be a bit of a cop out, but it seems like a valid point.
After finishing with a 74.5 Pro Football Focus grade as a rookie and being named a top PFF rookie for that season, Ahkello Witherspoon’s plunge down to a 44.9 last year was precipitous. The law of averages says, even if his rookie season was an outlier on the high end, it also seems likely that last year was the same on the other side.
This, combined with the improvement of the pass rush and the hopeful return to form for Richard Sherman, suggests Witherspoon could be at least a competent NFL starter. Even a quality backup would have its merits.
Judging by recent accounts from San Francisco’s organized team activities, Witherspoon is already looking like he’s bouncing back from last year’s efforts.
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If he’s able not to be a sieve opposite Sherman, even a moderate improvement should allow the 49ers defense to be vastly superior to its 2019 output.