49ers roster: 5 new faces who make biggest impact in 2022
By Peter Panacy
New 49ers player No. 1: Cornerback Charvarius Ward
It’s weird to think one of San Francisco’s biggest positional weaknesses last year actually turned into a strength after just one offseason.
Sure, the 49ers threw plenty of resources at the cornerback spot, but none of them matched the high-profile free-agent acquisition of former Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Charvarius Ward, who by default, will assume the No. 1 boundary corner spot heading into 2022.
Aside from just helping solve one of the Niners’ glaring issues from a year ago, Ward will enter the fray coming off a season in which opposing quarterbacks completed only 51.3 percent of pass attempts against him for a passer rating of 79.4.
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That’s a massive boost.
More importantly, perhaps, Ward’s presence will push other starting-caliber options down the depth chart, names like Emmanuel Moseley, Jason Verrett, Dontae Johnson and Ambry Thomas, all players whom San Francisco called upon to start last year but otherwise failed to solidify themselves as long-term options.
In short, the 49ers’ cornerback room is in a much better spot with Ward in the mix, and the depth chart is now beefed up significantly as a result.
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