Which 49ers Cornerback is Best Suited to Cover Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins?
Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season is only a week away.
The San Francisco 49ers will kickoff their "Revenge Tour" at Levi's Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals.
Arizona gave the 49ers fits in both matchups last season. I do not expect that to change one bit this season with the Cardinals poised to take a leap.
One reason why they are expected to take a leap is the addition of renowned wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
The Cardinals acquired Hopkins back in March from the Houston Texans in exchange for running back David Johnson and a couple of draft picks. Hopkins is going to be a nightmare to scheme against, even for the likes of an elite defense like the 49ers.
“We we're blessed to be able to play Hop when we were in Jacksonville," said defensive coordinator Robert Saleh on Thursday. "He's an alpha dog. Phenomenal wide receiver, very, very physical. It's fun, you get the most physical receiver in the game in Week 1, and it's going to be a tremendous challenge. I'm sure that they're excited and they've got a million ways that they can already use him. We’ve just got to play our game and do the best we can.”
There really isn't a true way to scheme around Hopkins because he can beat double teams, brackets, zone and man coverage. He is just that phenomenal. The only way the 49ers are going to have luck against him is sticking their best cover cornerback on him.
So which of the 49ers' cornerbacks is best suited to cover Hopkins?
Obviously, the 49ers do not typically have their corners shadow receivers, but for debate's sake let's play with the idea that they will.
Ideally, I would want to go with K'Waun Williams because of his play style. He is quick, can stick tight to his man and play aggressively. Plus, Hopkins sees a good portion of snaps in the slot. Seeing that matchup will generate a great deal of excitement.
However, Williams is barely finding a good stride of health now and would be a risky move to have him cover Hopkins the majority of the time.
The corner that is best suited right now has to be Richard Sherman.
The experience and intellect he has should give him a fair matchup against Hopkins' deceptive route-running. Best part of all is Hopkins isn't necessarily a deep threat receiver since he doesn't really carry that blazing speed to torch a defender. Sherman's weakness is when he has to defend against a speedster at receiver, so covering Hopkins bodes well for him.
Hopkins will most likely get his turn against each of the 49ers' cornerbacks, including Emmanuel Moseley. If Hopkins finds someone who he is having success against, the Cardinals will surely keep him going up against that defender. Maybe shadow defending could be something the 49ers utilize for this game.
