49ers’ 2019 ‘Who Is?’ series: Cornerback Greg Mabin

San Francisco 49ers cornerback Greg Mabin had a rough year in 2018, yet managed to see plenty of action. What does his future hold amid some changes entering 2019? Niner Noise’s “Who Is?” series takes a deeper look.

On one hand, the 2018 San Francisco 49ers trusted 24-year-old cornerback Greg Mabin enough last year to appear in 13 games, even starting one of them.

But on the other, the Niners weren’t exactly featuring a top-flight secondary a season ago — Pro Football Focus ranked San Francisco’s defensive backfield dead last in the league.

Mabin was part of that equation, too.

With two full years under his belt, the former undrafted free agent enters 2019 amid some changes within the 49ers secondary. While his appearances last year help bolster his stock somewhat, the fact he bounced back and forth from the team’s practice squad is a pretty good indicator where he stands on the 90-man offseason roster right now.

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/12/2019.

In short, Mabin remains on the fringes of the roster. But the 6-foot-1, 200 pounder could carve himself out a nice role as a depth player and special teams contributor, if he excels between now and Week 1.

Here’s how he can go about doing it.

Why Greg Mabin Improves in 2019

Mabin flashed some promise early in 2018, particularly in Weeks 4 and 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals, respectively. Overall, though, his coverage skills were lacking, and Mabin frequently found himself beat on more complex routes.

Shoring up that area of his game is going to be vital, and it would be nice to see him use the boundary lines to his advantage. This means gaining inside leverage, which was one of his positive traits on Mabin’s NFL Draft profile.

Mabin’s frame is also built to withstand these duties. If he can showcase some strength in press coverage, it should help increase his stock between now and the regular season.

Why Greg Mabin Regresses

Despite would-be improvements, it’s hard to overcome Mabin’s 48.9 PFF coverage grade from a year ago.

The 49ers were forced to insert him into more prominent roles, given periodic injuries to their starting corners, Richard Sherman and Ahkello Witherspoon. Mabin never totally adapted to the increased role, and it’s possible what fans saw last season is close to the peak of Mabin’s abilities.

If he’s unable to latch on as a solid special teams contributor, it will be hard for the cornerback to make any notable improvements.

Chances of Making the 49ers’ 53-Man Roster in 2019

San Francisco is banking on a fully healthy Sherman this year, as well as an improved Witherspoon. The offseason addition of veteran corner Jason Verrett clouds the competition for both starting boundary duties, as well as depth, meaning Mabin’s route to the 53-man roster won’t be easy at all.

Back on a $645,000 exclusive-rights tender, the Niners have very little invested in Mabin and could walk away quite easily. Yet the 49ers’ injury concerns at the position could, feasibly, open up the door for Mabin to hang around a bit longer than anticipated.

In what capacity is anyone’s guess, and a strong training camp would go a long way in helping ensure Mabin’s role remains important.

That said, it’s safe to assume he’s on the weaker side of the bubble heading towards training camp.