When the 49ers begin organized team actitivites (OTAs) Tuesday, the situation at cornerback will begin to take shape.
While there are several starting positions up for grabs, the cornerback spots figure to feature intense competition during the OTAs, which will be a prelude to the later full-squad spring minicamp and summer training camp.
Niners general manager Trent Baalke selected three cornerbacks in the recent draft – Will Redmond, Rashard Robinson and Prince Charles Iworah – and they will be added to a large and young group that is headed up by Tramaine Brock, Kenneth Acker, Dontae Johnson, Keith Reaser and Marcus Cromartie. Nickel corner/safety Jimmie Ward also will be in the competition.
At this point Brock would be the starter on one side, with Acker the likely No. 1 at the other. The competition could be fierce for jobs. Brock is considered a lock, but Acker’s job may be in jeopardy, as will backup roles.
New defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil is expected to run an aggressive defense that will put an emphasis on getting to the passer, noted the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch. Because of that approach, head coach Chip Kelly said recently that he’ll need a deep, talented corps of cornerbacks. That’s the reason, he said, that Baalke selected three pass defenders in the draft.
“It’s a quarterback-driven league and you have to disrupt the timing of the quarterback or you’re going to get picked apart,” Kelly said in an interview on KNBR. “It (the defense) relies on a lot of man coverage on the back end. That’s why we got a couple more corners here in the draft, to go along with the players we already have.”
