Emmanuel Moseley should start for 49ers at cornerback with Richard Sherman

There’s a budding competition brewing for the San Francisco 49ers at No. 2 cornerback, and Emmanuel Moseley should be the favorite to start alongside Richard Sherman.

One play shouldn’t always define a player’s career, and that’s the case for San Francisco 49ers cornerback Emmanuel Moseley and what happened to him during that infamous fourth-quarter 44-yard completion from quarterback Patrick Mahomes to wide receiver Tyreek Hill when the Kansas City Chiefs ultimately defeated the Niners in Super Bowl LIV last February.

Moseley blew the coverage on the play, and one can only wonder what the game’s outcome would have been if Moseley was in position.

He wasn’t, and that only added to the idea San Francisco will need a top-flight cornerback in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft.

While that argument is still true, Moseley is still in an excellent position to start alongside the veteran, Richard Sherman, this upcoming season. This is due to a number of reasons, chief among them is Sherman entering a contract year. The 49ers would be wise to find some long-term successor if Sherman isn’t back with the Niners in 2021, which is a strong possibility.

Moseley’s primary competition right now for the No. 2 cornerback spot is fourth-year pro Ahkello Witherspoon, whose career so far at the pro level has been defined by up-and-down play and injuries. 2019 injuries ultimately led to Moseley getting a long look as a starter.

And for the most part, he didn’t disappoint.

Despite his smallish 5-foot-11 stature, Moseley managed an impressive eight pass breakups over 16 games played, including nine starts. Two of those came in the end zone, too, which highlights his ability in covering red-zone threats.

As a result, Pro Football Focus awarded him with an impressive 70.4 overall grade on the season, which was good enough for 30th best among 112 qualifiers and fourth best among all Niners defensive backs.

Not bad for an undrafted free agent.

Speaking of that kind of contract value, the 49ers tendered Moseley’s exclusive-rights free agency deal during the offseason, and he’ll be a restricted free agent in 2021. As long as Moseley receives his tender a year from now, he’ll be under contract into 2022 barring some team willing to give up some serious compensation for the would-be RFA.

Circling back to the short-term needs, Witherspoon will also be a free agent in 2021. Unless the former third-round pick by the Niners in 2017 experiences a serious progression in his on-field abilities, it seems likely San Francisco will move on. Even if he doesn’t and remains with the Niners, the team will still likely seek another piece to pair with Witherspoon a year from now.

Moseley’s efforts last year shouldn’t be enough to completely deter the 49ers from grabbing a corner in this year’s draft. But it’s common to see first-year defensive backs struggle during the transition from college ranks to the pros, meaning if the Niners want to continue holding their Super Bowl window open, letting Moseley start right out of the gate would be a solid option.

Both in terms of putting the best player on the field and seeing if he can be a long-term fixture within the secondary.