Charvarius Ward Looks to Enhance Potent 49ers Defense
As a young man who has grown up in the middle of Missouri and in a Chiefs household, I often watched the Chiefs on gameday. When people babble about the Chiefs, they tend to direct attention to guys such as Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and Andy Reid. The recent success of the team is credited to those listed. More often than not, players go under the radar and there is no better case of this than Charvarius Ward.
Charvarius Ward spent five years of his time in Kansas City, serving as the first-string cornerback since 2019. Ward was one of the lone bright spots in the Chiefs secondary for many years, frequently locking down his side of the field. Ward’s best seasons in his time at K.C. were 2019 and 2021. In 2019, Ward accounted for 74 total tackles, 2 interceptions, and 10 pass breakups. Ward thrived under new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnulo by reinventing himself as a press corner, a very physical one if that. In 2021, he posted nearly identical numbers. Ward amassed 67 total tackles, 2 interceptions, and yet again 10 PBU’s. Three of those came in the postseason and, most notably, he held Stefon Diggs to a measly 3 receptions for a minuscule 7 yards. Despite not being the talk of the team, Ward played his role extremely well and gave a much-needed boost to a subpar secondary.
In the wake of one of his most productive seasons, the 49ers took the opportunity to sign Ward to a three-year deal on March 17. According to PFF, the 49ers secondary ranked 18th in the 2021 season. This was largely due to depth and injury issues, but the addition of Ward could see the secondary make a sizable leap. It is also fair to mention that the secondary doesn’t need to be a top unit in the NFL. The 49ers' defense is controlled by the front seven, and it is by far one of the best in the NFL. Having a suitable front seven is crucial for taking the load off the secondary and allowing it to play freer. Ward will be appreciative of this, as the Chiefs defense finished 30th in sacks last season, often resulting in the opposing quarterback having way too much time.
So what can we expect from the new signee? Firstly, you can expect Ward to lock down his side of the field. Ward may not be a ball-hawk, but he has the capability to shut down a receiver and limit his impact. He did this against Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs, AJ Brown and much more. Ward’s interception count has a high probability of increasing, as now he has a dominant front seven to play alongside .
Secondly, you can expect physicality. Ward stands at 6’1" and weighs roughly 200 pounds. Although he is an average size for a corner, Ward plays extensively bigger than his measurables. As formerly mentioned, Ward will press a fair majority of snaps and this is exactly where he will excel. Ward has a tremendous ability to jam his opponent at the line of scrimmage, throwing off the route entirely. This is why more often than not quarterbacks don’t even care to look his way.
Lastly, the 49ers will receive a confident, hard-working man. Fans tend to forget that Ward went undrafted. Cornerback is one of the hardest positions in football to excel at, yet Ward has done that despite having the odds stacked against him. Ward came into Kansas City and nobody knew his name. In two years, that changed quickly regardless of the star-studded roster. Ward went on record in 2020 saying, “I can be one of the best young corners in the league.” So far, he has remained truthful to that statement. Cornerback requires confidence. Let’s just say Ward is the definition of it.
Fans should be ecstatic about the addition of Ward. Most certainly, the secondary can get much better with him on the field and it can only get better from here in the Bay.
