49ers roster: 5 best training camp battles to watch in 2021
By Peter Panacy
49ers Training Camp Battle No. 4: Emmanuel Moseley vs. Ambry Thomas
Barring injury, no one is going to unseat cornerbacks Jason Verrett and K’Waun Williams from their starting roles.
Yet the same can’t exactly be said of the other starting boundary spot, which initially seems pegged for Emmanuel Moseley.
Moseley, who has bounced back and forth from the starting lineup the last two years, is going to have to fight off a number of depth corners to retain this role, including a veteran like Dontae Johnson as well as the player the Niners selected in Round 3 of the NFL Draft, Michigan corner Ambry Thomas.
Thomas opted out in 2020, so he hasn’t seen the field in over a year. As such, it might be understandable if he’s not quite ready to start out of the gate, therefore leaving Moseley to be the favorite to start right away.
That said, Thomas could easily close the gap between now and the end of training camp, especially if he proves to be a fit within first-year defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans’ press-man coverage scheme.