Which 49ers players are on the bubble entering training camp?
By Peter Panacy
49ers training camp bubble watch: Cornerback
Lock: Emmanuel Moseley, Ambry Thomas, Charvarius Ward, Samuel Womack*
Strong bubble: Darqueze Dennard, Dontae Johnson, Jason Verrett
Weak bubble: Tariq Castro-Fields*, Ka’dar Hollman, Deommodore Lenoir
Long shot: Qwuantrezz Knight*
Once a glaring weakness, the 49ers tossed plenty of resources at cornerback this offseason, highlighted by the free-agent grab of former Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Charvarius Ward, who’ll be the de facto No. 1 boundary corner.
Who starts opposite him is anyone’s guess, and it could fall between Emmanuel Moseley and the re-signed Jason Verrett, the latter needing to prove he’s healthy after suffering a torn ACL tear in Week 1 a year ago and riding so many injuries over his pro career.
Likewise, second-year cornerback Ambry Thomas is a dark-horse candidate to potentially start.
Things get more intriguing at nickel back where the Niners lost veteran K’Waun Williams to free agency but hope to have filled the void by using a fifth-round NFL Draft pick on Samuel Womack, who impressed during OTAs and mandatory minicamp but still might not have completely separated himself from the veteran, Darqueze Dennard.
Assuming San Francisco keeps six cornerbacks, it might have enough room for only one more name, which points to either Dontae Johnson or another one of those names on the fringes of the roster needing to impress heavily during training camp.
The 49ers’ affinity with Johnson, though, suggests he’s the favorite, and they certainly appreciate his versatility and veteran prowess.