San Francisco 49ers: Three position groups that have exceeded expectations so far

With bye week now over the San Francisco 49ers, we take a look at the three position groups that have exceeded expectations so far.

The bye week is finally over for the San Francisco 49ers. As beneficial as the bye was for the team, it definitely spoiled the fun for us that watch the games, especially with how hot the team has been.

During this bye, it has allowed a lot of us to reflect on the first three games played for the 49ers. Like how great the defense has been or how Kyle Shanahan’s play-calling is top tier. One of the things I reflected on is how the expectations were on certain position groups entering this season.

I know it has been only three games, but with the bye week wrapping it is good to see how the groups have fared against their expectations. With that said, here are three position groups that have exceeded expectations for the 49ers.

Cornerback

Arguably the worst cornerback group in all of football last season. It was Richard Sherman and no one else. That’s how worthless the corners of the 49ers were. So far through three games in 2019, they’ve gone from worthless to worthy. Sherman is still doing his thing, but the improvement that Ahkello Witherspoon has undergone is phenomenal.

The #49ers had two corners that ranked in the top 5 of coverage grades from Week 3.

1. Jaire Alexander: 🔒
2. K'Waun Williams: 91.9
3. Donte Jackson:🔒
4. Tae Waynes:🔒
5. Richard Sherman: 85.7

Check out where their season grades rank at https://t.co/B4Pb8c4sST

— PFF SF 49ers (@PFF_49ers) September 26, 2019

The guy has been sticking to his receivers like white on rice. He’s not falling for double moves or being susceptible for penalties. What’s amazing to see of Witherspoon is how aggressive he is. You hardly ever see a cornerback be aggressive with their tackling or trying to hit someone like a safety. There is also K’Waun Williams who has excelled in the slot, which is the toughest spot for a cornerback.

A lot of the success for the corners should be credited to the pass rushers since they don’t have to stay in coverage for too long. However, the improvements that these players have made elevates this defense exponentially. We’re about to see how truly improved they are now that Witherspoon is expected to miss the next few games.

Safety

It seemed like there was a consensus among fans and media that the 49ers needed to improve their safety position. When free agency was arriving so many people were pounding the table for Earl Thomas. I mean, who wouldn’t want to add an All Pro safety to their defense? Unfortunately for the 49ers, they lost that sweepstakes and actually were never even in it.

They felt that they were good at the safety position, which was a huge head scratcher. Well now we see what they were talking about. Tarvarius Moore has looked solid as the starter and alongside Jaquiski Tartt, the two make a good duo. Tartt has been the unsung hero of this defense. He’s made plays in both coverage and as a run stopper. The starters may be good, but it still doesn’t look like the 49ers have much depth at the position.

They are carrying only four safeties, so it is a thin position. At least if one of them goes down, they know Jimmie Ward can be capable. Just like the secondary, the safeties benefit from the pass rush since quarterbacks haven’t had time to take shots deep. However, considering how lacking the position seemed it felt like they were going to be bad regardless. The next few games will be telling for us to see if the group has really exceeded expectations.

Offensive line

No matter which quarterback the 49ers rolled out last season, each one was suffering from a lot of hits. The offensive line could not pass protect consistently. It’s a surprise that Nick Mullen didn’t suffer an injury by seasons end. However, so far in 2019 the offensive line is one of the best in the league in both pass protection and run blocking.

It's nice to have a go-to receiver you can count on. Here are the receivers who have the highest reception rate per route run so far this season: #RavensFlock #BoltUp #Colts #Saints #GoNiners #Skol #TakeFlight #Seahawks #Bears100 #LARams @gregcosell | @MattBowen41 pic.twitter.com/S2oa1tKtCm

— NFL Matchup on ESPN (@NFLMatchup) September 26, 2019

They were already solid when it game to the running game, but it was pass protection that was their achilles heel. According to ESPN, the pressure rate that Jimmy Garoppolo has seen is 14.8% which is top three in the league. That means the offensive line has kept the pocket for Garoppolo squeaky clean. It’s night and day from last season.

Unlike cornerback or safety, the offensive line is most likely the position that is legitimate. They’re all executing their blocks soundly. Because of them, the 49ers offense can do whatever they want. Now this could change a bit as we progress through the season because Joe Staley will be missin in action. However, I would not expect a huge drop off because everyone has been playing collectively well.