Under-the-radar 49ers who make or break a Super Bowl run
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: 49ers Cornerback Dontae Johnson
It’s weird to think veteran cornerback Dontae Johnson, so frequently on the fringes of the roster and always finding himself released and re-signed, will be tasked with providing a massive role in one way or another over the remaining course of the year.
But that’s the reality of the situation.
The Niners just lost one of their two starting cornerbacks, Emmanuel Moseley, to a high-ankle sprain. In an ideal world, one of San Francisco’s two 2021 NFL Draft picks, Ambry Thomas or Deommodore Lenoir, would be able to step into Moseley’s void and shoulder the load well enough to help bolster the secondary.
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Yet Thomas has struggled to see the field for much of the season, and the thinking here is he’ll have to wait until 2022 to make any sort of sizable impact, while Lenoir was regularly abused after coming into Week 13’s game after Moseley left, opening up the door for Johnson to see more field time.
It seems there’s a bigger chance the 49ers have to rely mostly on Johnson, especially if Thomas and Lenoir can’t make up for Moseley’s absence, which probably prompts some notable concern.
Unless Johnson winds up delivering high-quality play en route to the postseason and beyond.