No. 8: SF 49ers Cornerback
Richard Sherman, Ahkello Witherspoon, K’Waun Williams, Jason Verrett and Emmanuel Moseley
From one vantage point, San Francisco’s cornerbacks boast five players who are capable of starting for most teams.
On the other, there are still question marks about depth and durability, which makes this unit the No. 8 one ranked on this particular list.
No one is questioning 32-year-old veteran Richard Sherman‘s presence and role on the roster. He’ll start on the left side as he’s done since being signed by San Francisco in 2018. Who starts opposite him on the boundary, however, is an open-ended question.
In training camp, oft-injured veteran Jason Verrett appeared to be the favorite. But he’s dealing with a minor hamstring injury and has still played in just six regular-season games since the beginning of 2016. That doesn’t bode well for concerns about his longevity and durability.
So, for now, one should assume Emmanuel Moseley secures the role over his top camp competitor, Ahkello Witherspoon, who might no longer be qualified to start regularly. As a regular backup, though, Witherspoon is a good enough commodity.
San Francisco has to hope nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams, one of the best in the league at this spot, stays healthy. If not, the 49ers will have to do some significant shuffling within their secondary.