In 2017, the San Francisco 49ers appeared to have found their long-term starter at free safety, that year’s seventh-round NFL Draft pick, Adrian Colbert.
Colbert made quite the splash after securing the starting job over then-injured defensive back Jimmie Ward, flashing both ranginess and hard-hitting abilities down the stretch of what would be an impressive rookie year.
Yet it all came crashing down in 2018, as Colbert was one of many second-year players on the Niners roster who struggled over the course of the season.
And the stats from both years only tell a portion of the story before Colbert landed on injured reserve after suffering a high-ankle sprain midway through the year:
Granted, few players thrived within San Francisco’s last-ranked secondary last season — a unit which was part of a defense that set an NFL record-low two interceptions on the year.