49ers DC Explains Why Starting Corner Battle is ‘Wide-Open’

One area that fans knew the San Francisco 49ers needed to figure out is in the secondary.

While the likes of CB Akhello Witherspoon and CB Emmanuel Moseley impressed last season, it never seemed like either completely took the job away from the other, which means that the 49ers are still deciding who their No. 2 corner is in 2020.

While they are the likely front-runners, it appears to be a three-horse race according to San Francisco defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who explained in a press conference Tuesday that the competition was very much ongoing.

“The cornerback spot opposite [Sherman,]” Saleh said. “Obviously, we’d like to see competition over there. It is wide open, if you want to call it that. So, we’re just trying to give guys opportunities to go win that job.”

That third horse? Veteran CB Jason Verrett, who comes into the season with something to prove after missing 2018 due to injury and moving on from the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Verrett’s Performance

As a 2015 Pro Bowler, it’s no secret that Verrett has the talent and proven track record as a top corner in the NFL. However, the former TCU Horned Frog tore his achilles before the 2018 season, seeing him miss his final season as a Charger.

This led to the corner joining up with the 49ers for the 2019 season, but a “flare-up” in his knee saw him ride the injury reserve for the majority of the year.

However, if Verrett is healthy, it could be huge for San Francisco. The only time he’s played the majority of a season, 2015, the corner was a Pro Bowler with 12 passes defended and three interceptions.

Saleh went on to talk about how Verrett looks, which is only backing up his chances of making a surprise impact in the 2020 season.

“As far as Verrett is concerned, he’s been looking good,” Saleh said. “He looks a lot more comfortable. He looks a lot more confident. It’s just a matter of him getting back into the feel of it. It’s been a while for him to where he’s been able to put together a full training camp, so he’s off to a good start.”

It’s only good news for Saleh and the 49ers, but it does pose an important question: What direction should San Francisco go in 2020?

Going Forward

From this perspective, Moseley’s performances during the 2019 season were certainly worth investing in.

In his second season after leaving Tennessee for Santa Clara, California, the 24-year-old impressed with eight passes defended through the regular season, with a interception in the NFC Championship game as a bonus.

Witherspoon continues to be a useful option, but his ceiling feels lower than Moseley, who continues to take on more and more responsibility with little issue.

Verrett does become an interesting variable in the equation, and having a healthy and proven option as an insurance policy is attractive to say the least, not to mention as a Plan A.

However, Moseley appears to be the guy. Verrett and Witherspoon being on the young player’s heels is not something to be mad at that, though.

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Evan Reier is a sportswriter covering the San Francisco 49ers for Heavy.com and local sports for the Montana Standard in Butte, Mont. Reach out to him on Twitter at @evanreier and join our 49ers community at Heavy on 49ers on Facebook.

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