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When thinking about the 49ers defense, who comes to mind? Normally, it's a variety of
Nick Bosa and
Fred Warner, with an occasional sprinkle of Arik Armstead and Dee Ford.
Over the course of this season, there have been a few standouts; Jimmie Ward and Azeez Al-Shaair most notably, but with all of the recognition towards those specific players, there has been one under-the-radar "X-Factor"—cornerback Emmanuel Moseley.
As part of a secondary that has arguably been San Francisco's biggest defensive flaw, Moseley has been overshadowed, both by the good play of Jimmie Ward, but also by the inconsistencies from the rest of the group.
Moseley, who is just 25, re-signed with the 49ers in the offseason on a 2-year, $10 million deal, and has most certainly outperformed standards since coming to San Francisco as an undrafted free agent following the 2018 NFL Draft.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has even agreed that
Moseley's developed admirably, and went as far as to say that the cornerback has yet to reach his full potential.
During Week 1 of San Francisco's season, then-top-corner
Jason Verrett suffered an ACL tear during garbage time of what was, at that point, a blowout, effectively ending his season.
This season, with San Francisco in need of consistency in the secondary, Moseley has stepped up as a true No. 1 corner, with ten passes defended, which is fifth best in the NFL. In addition, Moseley's allowed a completion percentage of just 56.3% and a passer rating of just 73.4 this season.
To put that into context, only the Jacksonville Jaguars have an average passer rating below Moseley's rate, showcasing how San Francisco's top cornerback has shutdown opponents at an above-average level.
Moseley's leap as a top-level corner has transformed this San Francisco defense, as they're currently third in the NFL in passing yards allowed, although the 49ers have been known for their knack of defensive pass interference penalties. In addition, San Francisco's defense ranks seventh in yards per play at 5.3, and, more importantly, 12th in opponent 3rd down conversion rate at 39.02%, per TeamRankings.
One impressive stat that Moseley's accumulated this season is that he's yet to allow a touchdown despite being targeted 48 times, trailing only the Buffalo Bills' TreDavious White for the most targeted defensive back without allowing a single touchdown.
With a multitude of key free agents following the 2021 season, Emmanuel Moseley is a fixture that the 49ers have for another season, and will be a building block in the secondary, regardless of how they improve the position in the offseason, be it during free agency or the NFL Draft.
In his first true year as a starter, Moseley has exceeded all expectations, but will face one of his biggest, if not
the biggest test he's faced all season in Justin Jefferson and the high-powered Minnesota Vikings offense that is also looking for their sixth win of the season in order to stay in the postseason race.
Analyst Dane Brugler recently revealed his seven-round mock draft for The Athletic, forecasting all 257 selections in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, set to kick off next week.
"Piecing together a mock like this is time consuming, but I enjoy the exercise, because it allows me to focus on each team's needs, organizational trends and prospect-team pairings that make sense based on '30' visits, league buzz and overall interest," Brugler wrote.
Most expect the 49ers to address the trenches early in the draft, and Brugler has the team doing that. It's just not on the offensive side of the football. In fact, Brugler doesn't have San Francisco
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
