Niner Noise
FanSided

SF 49ers final 53-man roster projection ahead of Week 1

By Robert Morrison

Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers (R) with general manager John Lynch (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers (R) with general manager John Lynch (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Jimmie Ward #20 and Emmanuel Moseley #41 of the SF 49ers (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Jimmie Ward #20 and Emmanuel Moseley #41 of the SF 49ers (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

SF 49ers Defensive Backs (10)

CB Richard Sherman

CB Emmanuel Moseley

CB K’Waun Williams

CB Jason Verrett

CB Ahkello Witherspoon

CB Tim Harris

FS Jimmie Ward

SS Jaquiski Tartt

FS Tarvarius Moore

SS Marcell Harris

This group has more or less stayed the same, although there is some intrigue in terms of how the depth will shake out along with who the starter will be opposite Richard Sherman at the outside cornerback position.

Both starting safeties — free safety Jimmie Ward and strong safety Jaquiski Tartt — are locked in, even as Tartt enters the final year of his current contract.

Behind them, both Tarvarius Moore and Marcell Harris saw increased roles in 2019, with Moore featuring heavily during the Super Bowl to counter the Kansas City Chief’s offensive attack. With Ward under contract for the next few seasons, it’s Harris who will need to prove he could be the longterm option at strong safety.

The cornerback depth seems set, too, with Emmanuel Moseley, Jason Verrett, and Ahkello Witherspoon all doing enough to make the roster. The only question is which of the three will be the starter on the outside.

Verrett has reportedly had a great camp, and if he rounds back into the form that led the Chargers to take him in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, he could be a lethal starting option for the SF 49ers in 2020 and could be someone the team seeks to keep around beyond that.

Moseley and Witherspoon both started games in 2019, with Moseley taking over for an injured Witherspoon during the 49ers’ matchup against the Steelers in Week 3 of last season. The former undrafted free agent finished out the year as the starter and logic would suggest that he’d have a leg up on starting this year.

Slot corner K’Waun Williams enters the final year of his contract, having been one of the premier players at his position in the NFL since joining the 49ers in 2017. Retaining him beyond this year should be a top priority for the 49ers this coming season.

The final roster spot could go to a tight end, as previously mentioned, or could help add to the cornerback depth in the form of someone like veteran Dontae Johnson.

But in this case, the last slot goes to second-year player Tim Harris, who missed all of last season in the IR, but could be a key performer on special teams as he continues to work towards being a longterm option in the defensive backfield.