The 49ers made moves to improve their secondary this offseason after that unit struggled with injuries and depth beginning in training camp last year. New additions and some familiar names have San Francisco’s pass defense in line to take a significant jump this year, and Pro Football Focus ranked them No. 16 in the NFL, near the top of its “ascending units” tier.
Having a middle-of-the-pack secondary is actually a good goal for the 49ers given how the rest of their defense is constructed. They’re built from the defensive line back, and their linebackers dominate the middle of the field in coverage. The effectiveness of the front seven takes a lot of the onus off the secondary.
A 49ers secondary that ranks in the middle of the NFL means San Francisco has a Super Bowl caliber defense. If their new-look group with Charvarius Ward roaming on one side can inch its way into the top-10, the 49ers could have the best defense in the league.
There will be questions for the secondary to answer going into the year, and PFF’s projected starting group of Ward, Emmanuel Moseley, Jason Verrett, Jimmie Ward and Talanoa Hufanga may not be right.
Verrett might get a chance to compete for the starting nickel corner job, but the 49ers can’t gamble again on his health. They may prefer to keep him in a reserve outside corner role that limits his snaps and maximizes his effectiveness.
Hufanga is also not a lock to start at strong safety. Tarvarius Moore is returning from a torn Achilles and brings a ton of athleticism to the safety group. He can play both safety spots in the 49ers’ defense so adding him could make them even more effective in the back end.
Ultimately San Francisco is hoping its secondary can run near the middle of the pack all year. If they wind up exceeding that No. 16 pre-season ranking, expect the 49ers to play football well into January.
