49ers Sign Isaiah Oliver
The 49ers just replaced one cornerback who tore his ACL with another cornerback who tore his ACL.
The 49ers reportedly have signed former Atlanta Falcons cornerback Isaiah Oliver, who tore his ACL in 2021. He will replace former 49ers cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, who tore his ACL in 2022 and recently signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions.
So why did the 49ers want Oliver instead of Moseley?
The answer probably has something to do with new 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. He doesn't know Moseley the way DeMeco Ryans and Robert Saleh do. And Moseley might not be the best fit for what Wilks wants to do on defense.
Wilks is a zone coverage guru -- he uses zone more than most defensive coordinators. And Moseley isn't great in zone coverage, because he lacks eye discipline, which means he gets distracted and sometimes busts coverages. Remember, he was the one who blew the zone coverage on 3rd and 15 in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl when Tyreek Hill burned the 49ers for a long catch.
Moseley is much better in man-to-man coverage, because he gets to turn his back to the quarterback and chase the wide receiver, and that's how Ryans used him.
Wilks most likely wants an outside cornerback who's bigger than Moseley and better in zone coverage. That's Oliver. He's 6'0", 210 lbs. And now he'll get to play behind a dominant front seven for the first time in his career.
If Oliver wins the starting cornerback job, the 49ers can move Deommodore Lenoir back to nickelback, where he started last season before Moseley went down.
