Cornerbacks Jimmie Ward and Ahkello Witherspoon will be the starters on the outside of the defense when the San Francisco 49ers begin OTAs next month. General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that on Friday following the completion of Day 2 of the draft.
One other player who will play cornerback is Friday's third-round draft pick, Tarvarius Moore, who Lynch and Shanahan feel is a good fit there. Moore played safety during his two seasons with Southern Miss.
"It no doubt is a projection," Lynch told reporters. "We don't have film of [Moore playing cornerback]. (Defensive backs coach) Jeff Hafley did a tremendous job of showing us whatever tape. There's instances where he's in coverage, and I think one of the traits, you've got to be able to run to play corner in this league. He can flat out run. He's got the length and all that."
Lynch isn't exaggerating about Moore's speed. While he was not invited to the combine, Moore ran a blazing fast 4.32-second 40-yard dash at his pro day.
"We know he can play safety," Lynch continued. "We're going to give it a go and see. It always helps the flexibility to help shape a roster. And so we're going to play him out there. I can tell you that if you're going to play safety, the best thing you can do is go play corner.
"Herm Edwards, when he came to Tampa, he made me go cover receivers as a corner, and it makes you a better safety. I think in the least bit, he's a guy that we're going to give a go there. We'll see how it works, but we think he has some skills that could translate. It certainly is a projection, though."
Moore will play behind current starting cornerback Ward. Of course, things will likely change once Richard Sherman is cleared to practice.
Shanahan is eager to see how well Moore transitions to cornerback.
"We know we've got a good safety who can play in this league as a safety," Shanahan said. "We think he can play corner. We'll see. But we also know we've got a guy who can run really fast and doesn't mind hitting people. That usually translates to a good special teams player also. We're very fortunate to get a player like that."
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