Emmanuel Moseley must be first free agent 49ers re-sign in 2023

The 49ers face some serious challenges in NFL free agency, but bringing back Emmanuel Moseley shouldn’t be one of them. He’s their top priority.

The San Francisco 49ers know all too well what it’s like to deal with painful cornerback attrition because of injuries.

This was a problem in 2021, especially after losing corner Jason Verrett to a season-ending ACL tear in Week 1, and the Niners subsequently employed something of a revolving door at cornerback thereafter with less-than-desirable results.

In 2022, it was less of a problem, thanks to the offseason pickup of free-agent corner Charvarius Ward.

Ward’s partner on the boundary, Emmanuel Moseley, was also impressive in coverage before he unfortunately suffered a torn ACL in San Francisco’s Week 5 win over the Carolina Panthers.

Unlike 2021, the 49ers managed to survive Moseley’s season-ending absence from that point onward, except the Niners still don’t have a long-term answer at cornerback.

And they lack even further depth down the rest of the roster.

Why 49ers should re-sign Emmanuel Moseley in NFL free agency

Moseley isn’t just a re-sign candidate, assuming he’s well on his way to a full recovery. He might be the most important pending free agent San Francisco would want to bring back.

Why?

The 49ers do have a contingency option to replace Moseley in two-year pro Deommodore Lenoir, who ended up being the primary starter opposite Ward in the second half of 2022. Lenoir, however, is notably slower than Moseley, and the latter’s coverage skills are notably better.

Over the course of 2022, Moseley’s passer rating allowed was 66.9, whereas Lenoir’s was 91.2.

Read More: Jimmy Garoppolo, other notable 49ers set to hit NFL free agency in 2023

The Niners don’t have too many other options further down the depth chart either, especially with fellow corner Ambry Thomas’ regression last season. And, with the understanding that young defensive backs often struggle in their transition from the college ranks to the pros, looking for a rookie in the NFL Draft isn’t necessarily a guaranteed fix either.

Considering the nature of a pass-first league, finding a capable partner to play opposite of Ward is going to be vital.

Moseley did well before and should do so again. Plus, considering his ACL tear is now a part of his 2022 campaign, the cost to re-sign him should be notably lower than if he stayed fully healthy.

That’s disappointing for Moseley, of course, but it does benefit San Francisco in that regard.

However, it’s because of Moseley’s play that the 49ers should entertain bringing him back as soon as possible.