No. 1: 49ers Cornerback
It was a bit strange not seeing San Francisco make some substantial moves to reinforce their cornerback depth during the offseason. Essentially, the only moves the team made was to re-sign depth corners Jason Verrett and Dontae Johnson to one-year deals apiece, then grab former Missouri cornerback DeMarkus Acy as an undrafted free agent.
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Acy might be a player to watch. But assuming he’s ready to fill a vital role on the 49ers depth chart is awfully premature.
And that doesn’t even tack on the injury waiving of the versatile defensive back, D.J. Reed, who ended up being claimed by the Seattle Seahawks.
Reed’s absence will put more pressure on nickel corner K’Waun Williams to stay healthy this season. The veteran, Jamar Taylor, just saw his roster chances increase with Reed’s departure, so that’s something to consider.
Yet the bigger questions are on the boundary, where Richard Sherman and Emmanuel Moseley lock down the starting roles. Ahkello Witherspoon, who has bounced up and down since being selected in the 2017 NFL Draft, should serve as the primary reserve here. But he also dealt with a lengthy foot sprain last season, and his lack of consistency could be a cause for concern.
Defensive backs Tim Harris and Tarvarius Moore are other options. But Harris was redshirted his rookie season a year ago, and the 49ers are likely pegging Moore as a big-nickel safety.
Making things more questionable, Sherman, Williams, Witherspoon and Moseley are all pegged for free agency in 2021, but that’s a problem for another time.
What matters now is the lack of depth, and San Francisco has to hope this unit isn’t tested too much by the way of injury this season.