5 overreactions from SF 49ers win over NY Giants in Week 3
Overreaction No. 5: Jason Verrett will be the SF 49ers’ stingiest cornerback
When the SF 49ers signed cornerback Jason Verrett last year, it was the quintessential buy-low move from a team looking to potentially strike gold. After all, Verrett, when healthy, was legitimately an elite cornerback. But the last time he was healthy, the 49ers had just mutually parted with head coach Jim Harbaugh, and then-Niners running back No. 1, Carlos Hyde, ran roughshod over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.
Last year, Verrett played two snaps in total: a pass interference and an absolute undressing for a touchdown given up. He went on injured reserve, and that was it. Luckily for the 49ers, Emmanuel Moseley filled in admirably, and that second cornerback position was taken care of.
This year, Verrett was rehabbing a hamstring injury during training camp, missing the first two games while Richard Sherman went on injured reserve and Ahkello Witherspoon hurt his own hamstring after a tough performance. That put Verrett in a pretty high-stakes situation where he was essentially the last competent pure cornerback on the roster.
Things got even worse when Moseley left the game with a concussion, leaving the Niners with no backup option if Verrett struggled.
But Verrett not only made it through the game, he played pretty well, all things considered.
In his first full game in over three years, Jason Verrett allowed just two catches (on four targets) for nine yards in 28 coverage snaps. #49ers
— Jeff Deeney (@PFF_Jeff) September 28, 2020
The biggest takeaway from Verrett’s performance was his twitchy nature as well as his speed and aggressiveness.
It was like the player back in 2015.
With such a performance with some rust, there is obvious speculation over how well Verrett can play this year. And even though Sherman is still a talented player who can get it done, his age has begun to limit his ceiling.
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Verrett could legitimately be the best cornerback on the roster.
Like all things regarding Verrett, everything is dependent upon his health. Moseley did not play poorly enough to warrant being benched, and based on the past, the Niners have not taken away a player’s starting job due to injury. The upcoming Week 4 game versus the Philadelphia Eagles will be without Sherman, so it could very well become a tryout for the two corners.
How that will end up is uncertain, but Verrett’s ceiling is the highest on the roster’s. And if he stays healthy, it’s not a stretch to say he will be the stickiest corner for the Niners. The question is all in the health.
Verdict: Not an overreaction
Next. 49ers' 5 biggest unsung heroes in Week 3 win over Giants. dark
Beating bad teams big-time is what any good team should do, and the performances from them have to be taken with a grain of salt. That doesn’t take away from the fact the SF 49ers took care of business in a big way and showed that, at least for now, they’re very much still in contention.