San Francisco 49ers: 10 players to watch during 2019 training camp
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon
Like Jordan Matthews, cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon is another player who impressed during OTAs.
Also like Matthews, Witherspoon is looking to bounce back from what was otherwise a forgettable 2018 campaign.
While opposing teams didn’t test Richard Sherman often over the course of the year, Witherspoon was frequently the target instead. Each week, the 2017 third-round draftee seemed susceptible to either giving up a big play or being flagged with a costly penalty down the field.
Oftentimes both.
A year ago during training camp, there were signs Witherspoon was going to go through issues. He was frequently the victim of long touchdowns and was regularly beat in coverage during practices.
Fortunately, reports stated Witherspoon was showing nothing of the sort during OTAs. And that’s an excellent sign.
Entering 2019, Witherspoon is projected to compete with fellow corner Jason Verrett for the No. 2 cornerback spot opposite Sherman. In the long-term projection, however, San Francisco will be looking to replacing the aging Sherman with a younger, just-as-capable player.
Witherspoon needs to start the process for consideration now.