4 position groups the 49ers will have to address in 2020
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Cornerback
Just like the offensive line, the 49ers don’t have to be totally concerned with their cornerback crop. Their three starters — Richard Sherman, Ahkello Witherspoon and K’Waun Williams — are all under contract for 2020. And it’s looking as if there’s a solid reserve option for the boundary in second-year pro Emmanuel Moseley, too.
But like the O-line, the starting corners have been banged up with injuries at various points this season as well.
So far, the Niners have accounted well enough for the depth. But it’s thinning out, and one can see how long-term ramifications could wind up being problematic in coming seasons.
Case in point, Sherman will enter a contract year in 2020, and it’s anyone’s guess whether or not San Francisco wants to make the aging veteran a long-term part of its plans beyond next season. It’s possible both Witherspoon and Moseley are en route to becoming a starting tandem in a couple years’ time, sure.
Yet the depth is important. And as Witherspoon’s 2018 second-year regression proved, it’s common to see young defensive backs struggle early in their respective careers.
If San Francisco wants to avoid that, investing in an up-and-coming corner now could be a top priority.