No. 1: SF 49ers Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley
The 49ers entrusted cornerback Emmanuel Moseley to start both in the NFC Championship game and the Super Bowl last season, taking over for the embattled Ahkello Witherspoon, who began 2019 as the starter opposite veteran corner Richard Sherman.
Moseley seemed to be pegged for starting duties again this season despite just having nine regular-season starts over his two-year career under his belt. Witherspoon was going to challenge him in training camp, yes, but the job appeared to be Moseley’s to lose.
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At least until San Francisco worked in veteran cornerback Jason Verrett as an X-factor.
Verrett, who played just two snaps for the SF 49ers last season and comes with a massive injury rapport, has been seeing more than enough first-team time in training camp, and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh told reporters “it’s wide open” when asked about the No. 2 cornerback job.
And Verrett seemed to be a prime candidate to seize those starting duties from Moseley.
If anything, it’s a benefit to the Niners getting Verrett back into the mix, alleviating some of the depth concerns the team had prior to camp. Any production out of Verrett would be a boost, especially considering he’s appeared in just six regular-season games dating back to the beginning of 2016 when he was with the San Diego Chargers.
But there’s the possibility Moseley gets pushed back to a reserve role where he started 2019.