49ers roster: Grading each position after first 4 weeks of 2021
By Peter Panacy
Cornerback. . player. 42. . .
49ers Cornerbacks: D-
One almost has to grade on a curve for this group, particularly in the wake of so many injuries hitting it hard and the 49ers being forced to sign players off the street.
No. 1 cornerback Jason Verrett was lost for the year to a torn ACL in Week 1, while veterans K’Waun Williams (calf) and Josh Norman (chest) have also missed time. As such, with Norman also being a part of the emergency solution, the Niners have scrambled to sign players like Dre Kirkpatrick and Buster Skrine to make up for the shortages.
Perhaps the lowly grade is influenced, though, by the lack of preparation San Francisco made to guard against likely injuries. True, the 49ers drafted two cornerbacks, Ambry Thomas and Deommodore Lenoir, this year to stockpile for the future. But of the two, only Lenoir has shown any sort of pro-level prowess, while Thomas has been inactive for two of the four games this season, only made active in Week 4 because of injuries to Norman and Williams.
Opposing teams are going to continue targeting the fill-in cornerbacks. Considering Thomas’ slow development, it’s not likely anything is going to change in this department anytime soon, meaning the Niners’ cornerback group will probably remain the team’s No. 1 weakness over the rest of the year.
Troubling.