Do the 49ers Have the Best Cornerback Trio in the NFC West?
Two years ago, the 49ers cornerback trio arguably lost the team a Super Bowl when Richard Sherman and Emmanuel Moseley got burned in the fourth quarter against the Chiefs.
Last year, the 49ers cornerback trio arguably saved the defense after Nick Bosa and Dee Ford went down for the season. The addition of Jason Verrett changed everything for the 49ers.
So where does their cornerback trio currently stand? Is it the best one in the NFC West?
Let's rank the division's cornerback trios from worst to best.
Arizona Cardinals: Malcolm Butler, Robert Alford and Byron Murphy.
Butler and Alford were terrific five or six years ago, but now they're hanging onto their careers by a thread. Murphy is young, but the 49ers burn him frequently. So this is one of the worst cornerback trios in the NFL, not just the NFC West. Congratulations, Arizona.
Seattle Seahawks: Ahkello Witherspoon, D.J. Reed and Tre Flowers.
Tre Flowers is a bad cornerback, but he's the No. 3 guy. Their No. 2 guy, D.J. Reed, is good -- better than Emmanuel Moseley, the 49ers' No. 2 cornerback. The 49ers had Reed, but they released him for some odd reason, and then the Seahawks picked him up the next day. The 49ers also had Witherspoon, but let him walk in free agency this year, and the Seahawks signed him. Witherspoon can be terrible at times, but he's talented, so it will be interesting to see what he does under Pete Carroll, one of the best DB teachers in the NFL.
49ers: Jason Verrett, Emmanuel Moseley, K'Waun Williams.
Verrett is one of the five best cornerbacks in the NFL when healthy, and he has been healthy the past year. Moseley is a solid No. 2 cornerback, and K'Waun Williams is one of the best nickelbacks in the league, because he forces turnovers, blitzes and tackles well. This is a quality trio, but it's one injury away to Verrett from becoming sub par.
Los Angeles Rams: Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams, David Long.
Ramsey is the second-best player in the NFL after Aaron Donald. Ramsey can shut down any wide receiver he faces -- he's the best cornerback/safety hybrid since Charles Woodson. And his counterpart, Darious Williams, had a terrific season last year and is similar to former 49ers cornerback Tramaine Brock. And Long was the 79th pick in 2019, so he has talent. This group is elite, mostly because Ramsey makes his teammates seem better than they are.
