The 49ers won’t rely on cornerback Jason Verrett in 2022 as they did in 2021. He began last year as a starter, but a torn ACL in Week 1 took him out for the rest of the year. San Francisco re-signed him this offseason and while their CB depth has improved and Verrett’s role has diminished, the veteran corner is still making an impact at the position.
It’s still very early in the offseason program and OTAs are still underway with mandatory minicamp scheduled for mid-June. The on-field work is pretty limited and pads haven’t even come on, but there’s a ton of classroom work going on and 49ers secondary coach Corey Undlin told Jennifer Lee Chan at NBC Sports Bay Area that Verrett is making his life easier as a coach.
“He’s involved,” Undlin told NBC Sports Bay Area. “He’s interacting. He’s talking to us as if he’s going out there and playing every single down. Huge positive for me as a coach, for us as a coaching staff to have that type of leadership and knowledge, especially for the young guys and even for a guy like (Charvarius Ward).”
This is the second time this offseason we’ve heard about the 49ers veteran cornerbacks helping in the CB room. Ward has also been hands-on in helping some of the team’s younger defensive backs.
If Verrett finds his way onto the roster, he’d likely do so as a reserve CB who’s role would also have to include helping the club develop some of its investments at the position. They signed Ward for big money this offseason, drafted Ambry Thomas in the third round last year, and spent fifth-round picks on Deommodore Lenoir and Samuel Womack over the last two years. They also drafted Tariq Castro-Fields in the sixth round this year.
The 49ers don’t need a dominant secondary, but they need at least a serviceable group in the back end. It looks as though they have the personnel to fill those roles, but they have a better shot at developing some long-term options thanks in part to players like Verrett doing their part to make the team better early in the offseason.
