Ahkello Witherspoon Very Well Could Start Week 1 for 49ers

Day 4 of training camp for the San Francisco 49ers saw cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon scrimmage with the starters.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Moseley and Jason Verrett ran with the backups.

It was the first day of camp that Witherspoon had started opposite of Richard Sherman, but it should not come as a surprise. The 49ers coaching staff is still a big believer in Witherspoon. They treat him similarly to Dante Pettis where they do not want to fully give up on him just yet. That is why there is currently an open competition for the No. 2 cornerback job.

“The corner spot opposite Sherm, obviously we'd like to see a competition over there," said defensive coordinator Robert Saleh at Tuesday's presser. "It is wide open, if you want to call it that. We're just trying to give guys opportunities to go win that job.

San Francisco will continue to roll out opportunities for Witherspoon until he reaches a boiling point with the coaching staff. And as they showcased last season, that boiling point is extremely high. Witherspoon was playing terrible towards the final quarter of the season, yet the 49ers continued to trot him out there despite Moseley proving to be the better option.

Since Witherspoon will continue to be given opportunities in training camp, there is a reality where Witherspoon could very well start Week 1 for the 49ers.

All the coaching staff needs to see is some glimpses and a bit more consistency from him. That is what I believe will be sufficient for them to give him the start. In a way, the 49ers are sabotaging the competition because they really want Witherspoon to win. It's just the reality of roster politics for this team.

And Witherspoon isn't a bad cornerback by any stretch.

He just lost all of his confidence after getting abused by Julio Jones in Week 15. That game was when he evolved into burnt toast. There wasn't any issue with his technique or mechanics. He's had opportunities to make plays, it's just that he doesn't trust himself. That lack of faith in his own ability can severely damage a cornerback.

Having that cockiness, swagger and drive is an overlooked trait to play the position because you have to believe you are THAT guy. Just look at how Moseley stepped into a critical moment Week 17 against the Seahawks. He has a clutch pass breakup on D.K. Metcalf that eventually sets up Dre Greenlaw's massive hit to win the game.

If Witherspoon is there, he isn't making that play.

Now, Witherspoon has shown some more passion in training camp than he did toward the end of last season. But it isn't enough for me to advocate for him to start. The clear cut starter right now needs to be Moseley and, even if Witherspoon shows dramatic improvement, Moseley should still remain the starter.

Yet the cards that are on the table show that there is a real scenario that Witherspoon will start against the Arizona Cardinals Week 1.