San Francisco 49ers: 3 players who exceed expectations in 2020
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: 49ers Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley
Sticking with the defensive backs here, third-year cornerback Emmanuel Moseley is also primed to have a breakout-kind of season in 2020.
Moseley already flashed some greatness last season, filling in as a starter for fellow corner Ahkello Witherspoon, who was both removed from the starting lineup due to injury and inconsistent production when he was available. While Moseley had some up-and-down moments of his own, including a big down one in Super Bowl LIV, the general consensus is he’s more than capable of holding his own as a starter.
Over the course of 16 games and nine starts, Moseley registered 50 tackles, an interception and eight passes broken up. Per Pro Football Focus, opposing quarterbacks posted just an 80.2 passer rating when targeting him in coverage.
That’s pretty good. And it wasn’t as if Moseley was just asked to hold down a boundary role either, as this thread from Fourth and Nine’s Eric Crocker pointed out.
What’s beneficial for Moseley, and the prime reason why he’s an exceed-expectation candidate is that he’ll understand his role for 2020. He has the inside track to securing a starting job this season, and there won’t be the back-and-forth question whether or not he’ll be on the field.
That’s beneficial, especially for defensive backs understanding their roles, and Moseley could wind up producing quite the season this year as a result.