One glaring weakness 49ers defense has entering 2022

The 49ers defense has looked elite over two-plus weeks of training camp, but there’s one hole that could prove to be problematic this season.

If there’s one overwhelmingly positive takeaway San Francisco 49ers can process in the wake of more than two weeks of training camp, it’s the realization the Niners’ 2022 defense is awfully good.

Potentially elite-level good.

Thanks largely to the addition of veteran cornerback Charvarius Ward earlier this offseason, coordinator DeMeco Ryans’ defense now has playmakers at all three levels and very few liabilities if any. And while San Francisco’s pass rush was expected to be plenty good enough, thanks to the prowess of Pro Bowl EDGE Nick Bosa and the infusion of rookie pass-rusher Drake Jackson, the secondary is now taking a major leap forward, too.

Heading into camp, a major concern was at strong safety where the 49ers were hoping second-year pro Talanoa Hufanga could adequately fill the shoes left by now-Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Jaquiski Tartt.

It was a worthy concern, considering Hufanga’s athleticism was fair to question. So far, though, Hufanga hasn’t been much of a liability at all, and the Niners have been wise to play him closer to the line of scrimmage to better suit his strengths.

However, this doesn’t mean every spot within the defensive backfield is a solid one.

49ers have one major defensive weakness, and it’s at nickel cornerback

Tartt wasn’t the lone notable player to depart San Francisco via free agency this offseason, as the 49ers watched long-time nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams sign a new deal with the Denver Broncos.

Not too surprising, as the 49ers want to get both younger and cheaper, which led to the fifth-round NFL Draft addition of former Toledo cornerback Samuel Womack.

Womack emulates Williams in a lot of ways, and he also impressed during offseason workouts prior to training camp. However, in camp, it’s been veteran defensive back Darqueze Dennard and not Womack who has been lining up with the first-team unit.

Dennard, 30 years old and a journeyman backup at best at this point in his career, clearly isn’t the long-term solution, and Womack could overtake him on the depth chart by Week 1 of the regular season.

However, this is where the concern begins to unfold.

Why 49ers nickel back role could be a liability

The Niners are expected to play a lot of three-safety sets this season with Jimmie Ward at free safety, Hufanga down towards the box and Tarvarius Moore in a big-nickel role. Yet that deployment will be periodical, not the norm, meaning Hufanga’s presence closer to the line of scrimmage will mean more of the traditional single-high, Cover 3 looks the team used to employ back in 2017 and 2018 under then-defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.

This coverage scheme, with one of two safeties down in the box, places a heavy reliance on cornerbacks to execute well in coverage.

While Ward showcased his ability to defend on an island with the Kansas City Chiefs over the last two seasons, and fellow corner Emmanuel Moseley continues to improve, asking either Dennard or Womack to do the same this season is a tall order.

Should Womack take over as a starter, one also has to recognize the tendency that young defensive backs often struggle early in their respective careers, as NFL routes are far more complex, and opposing receivers are bigger, stronger and faster.

As such, one might expect opponents’ quarterbacks to target either Womack or Dennard frequently and often, especially if Ward and Moseley are handling their coverage duties well enough.

Granted, the cornerback room is infinitely less a concern than it was a year ago, but it wouldn’t be shocking if this particular element was troublesome this season.