Fans weigh in on which 49ers cornerback will start opposite Richard Sherman

Third-year cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon looked like the frontrunner for a starting cornerback job during the San Francisco 49ers' offseason program. He received the majority of the reps in practices open to the media and looked solid during that time.

Witherspoon will receive some competition during training camp. New 49ers cornerback Jason Verrett plans to push Witherspoon for the starting job opposite veteran Richard Sherman. Verrett, however, is coming off of a torn Achilles tendon he suffered last summer and was not able to participate during the offseason program. He recently posted video via Instagram, which showed the cornerback doing drills and looking on track to make his 49ers practice debut.

The key for Verrett will be to stay healthy. His healthiest season came in 2015 which resulted in a Pro Bowl selection. Verrett ended up on injured reserve during his four other NFL seasons.

"When he's on the field, he's one of the best corners in our game," Sherman said of Verrett in May. "When he's healthy, and he's moving, he has great instincts, he has great movement, he has good ball skills. He's just a pest. He's always there. He's always close to the ball. Even when the receiver is making a catch, it's really a tough, contested catch."

Verrett expects to be ready to take part in training camp practices.

"The day I get on that football field, they're definitely going to like what they see," Verrett said this month.

Witherspoon's 2018 campaign also ended on injured reserve. He started the majority of the games opposite Sherman last season before sustaining a sprained posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) during Week 15. Tarvarius Moore finished the season in place of Witherspoon but has been practicing at safety this offseason.

Witherspoon showed flashes during his rookie season and created some excitement as he headed into his sophomore season. He struggled early in 2018.

"He went through some lulls last year and took a step back, but fought his way through it," head coach Kyle Shanahan said earlier this month.

We recently polled the Niner Faithful, asking which 49ers cornerback would start opposite Sherman during the upcoming season. Verrett was the overwhelming favorite with 71 percent of the votes. Witherspoon earned just 27 percent while two percent voted for the option of "Other."