49ers Training Camp: Cornerback Depth Desperately Needed
This time last year, the 49ers had perhaps the most cornerback depth they have experienced during Kyle Shanahan's time as head coach. Now, as the Niners enter a season in which they will again be seeking to finally end their wait for a sixth Super Bowl, a lack of reserves at the premium position in […]
This time last year, the 49ers had perhaps the most cornerback depth they have experienced during Kyle Shanahan's time as head coach.
Now, as the Niners enter a season in which they will again be seeking to finally end their wait for a sixth Super Bowl, a lack of reserves at the premium position in the secondary projects as an issue that threatens to curtail those hopes.
Heading into training camp in 2022, the 49ers had Charvarius Ward, Emmanuel Moseley as likely starters. Ambry Thomas and Deommodore Lenoir had starting experience as rookies, the latter impressing down the stretch in 2021, Dontae Johnson was there as a dependable veteran and the Niners were hoping Jason Verrett would recover from a torn ACL to give them another experienced option.
There was also optimism around Darqueze Dennard and rookie Samuel Womack III as they competed for the starting nickel role, while Tariq Castro-Fields was selected in the sixth round of the draft.
Though Castro-Fields and Dennard were cut and Johnson was consigned to the practice squad, the depth they amassed at corner, along with the versatility of safety Jimmie Ward , proved very useful.
Moseley was lost to a season-ending knee injury in Week 5, meaning the 49ers had to shuffle their deck. Lenoir, who took over the starting slot role from Womack early in the season, was shifted to the outside and Jimmie Ward moved to nickel having been displaced as the starting safety by Tashaun Gipson.
They proved an excellent starting trio, though the 49ers were unable to keep them together as 2014 first-round pick Ward ended his time as their longest-tenured player, signing with the Texans in free agency.
Isaiah Oliver was signed as his replacement, but the bigger question than whether Oliver is a viable long-term starting slot surrounds the depth behind the top three that has largely evaporated.
Draft picks' lack of development
Thomas barely featured on defense last year after a disappointing offseason and the initial promise displayed by Womack in preseason did not translate into an impactful rookie campaign as he was used sparingly on the outside after losing his starting job to Lenoir.
Their lack of progress has left the Niners with, at least on the surface, no trustworthy backups behind their top three.
Perhaps that is a little unfair to Womack. The 49ers had the confidence to start him in the slot originally, and a strong camp could renew their faith. Rookie third-round safety Ji'Ayir Brown's ability to play the nickel may also lead the Niners to be relaxed about their options in that spot.
Free agent signing Myles Hartsfield is another potential deputy at nickel having played in Steve Wilks' defense in Carolina last year. Qwuantrezz Knight is also in the mix as a safety-nickel hybrid, though his future is more likely as a box safety.
But on the outside, the requirement for a clear top backup to step up is much greater. That need was exacerbated by fifth-round rookie Darrell Luter Jr. being designated as Physically Unable to Perform (PUP).
Veteran free agents still an option
The nature of Luter's injury has yet to be revealed, but if he loses significant practice time in camp then the odds of the 49ers trusting him in year one will be drastically reduced.
With Luter, for now, out of the equation, the pressure on Thomas to bounce back with a much improved offseason is massive. Beyond him, the 49ers are looking at a host of undrafted free agent rookies.
Among that group, D'Shawn Jamison impressed in minicamp, but potentially asking him or any other undrafted rookie to be the primary backup at outside corner is not a position the 49ers desire to be in.
Essentially, the 49ers are an injury to either Ward or Lenoir away from having to start either Thomas, Womack or an undrafted first-year player on the outside.
Back in 2021, Shanahan's lack of trust in Thomas and, at the time, Lenoir meant the 49ers started veteran free agents Josh Norman and Dre Kirkpatrick ahead of them when injuries hit.
Thomas eventually cracked the lineup after further injuries and leapfrogged Norman. Faith in Lenoir is now not in question after his superb 2022, but the events of 2021 when they were rookies are instructive.
Shanahan and the staff he has hired to coach defense will not put players on the field they are not comfortable with if they can avoid it. As such, the onus is on Thomas or another player on the lower reaches of the depth chart to excel in camp and give them a backup who merits their belief. If nobody does so, it would be no surprise to see the 49ers head into the veteran free agent market to add dependable depth.
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Featured Image Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
