An undrafted rookie in 2022, Qwuantrezz Knight spent that year on the 49ers practice squad. Now, he has a much better shot at making the 53-man roster.
A year ago at this time, the San Francisco 49ers pretty much had their cornerback room picked out and ready for the upcoming 2022 season.
Charvarius Ward, the big-name free-agent pickup, was the No. 1 option on the boundary, and he was joined by Emmanuel Moseley. At nickel, then-rookie Samuel Womack was a surprise addition, while other corners like Deommodore Lenoir, Ambry Thomas and Dontae Johnson were in the mix as reserves, too.
There wasn't too much room for undrafted rookie Qwuantrezz Knight whatsoever.
The former UCLA Bruin joined the Niners after going undrafted in 2022 and flashed some modest promise during training camp and the preseason.
Yet that wouldn't be enough, as San Francisco's cornerback room was full by the time Week 1 of the regular season rolled around, and Knight was relegated to the practice squad for all of his rookie year.
Things may change in 2023, though.
What does Qwuantrezz Knight need to improve to make 49ers roster?
Knight, 6-foot-0 and 199 pounds, has some modest strengths that could either translate into a bump-and-run cornerback or potentially even a strong safety down toward the box. He's tough, physical and won't miss tackles.
At the same time, though, his straight-line speed is lacking, and his coverage skills in one-on-one situations are not good.
Those latter areas need to be shored up quickly. Fortunately, there is an avenue by which Knight could feasibly make the 49ers' regular-season 53-man roster.
Why Qwauntrezz makes 49ers' 53-man roster (and why he doesn't)
The Niners' cornerback room looks noticeably different entering training camp in 2023 than it did a year ago at this time.
Moseley and Johnson are both gone, and even the versatile defensive back, Jimmie Ward, is also with a new team this year. Lenoir looks to be the best candidate to start opposite Charvarius Ward, while Thomas is fighting for a roster spot.
Womack is likely a backup now, too, after San Francisco added veteran corner Isaiah Oliver, and the 49ers also drafted Darrell Luter Jr. on day three of this year's NFL Draft to potentially turn into a starting-caliber option.
While there are a lot of bodies vying for spots on the depth chart, the situation is quite fluid.
If Knight makes the 53-man roster, he'll likely have to beat out players like Thomas and potentially even Luter. It's feasible, given that Thomas struggled mightily last season and hardly saw the field on defense, while Luter is merely a rookie. Nothing more.
That said, the Niners have far more invested in both Thomas and Luter, meaning Knight is nothing more than dark-horse possibility to survive roster cuts.
While better than last year, his chances are still fairly low. In all likelihood, he's probably ticketed for another season on the practice squad.