In 2017, it looked as if the San Francisco 49ers found their next starting cornerback, Ahkello Witherspoon, who assumed a starting role in Week 4 that year and never gave it back.
The Niners’ third-round pick from the 2017 NFL Draft came with flaws, namely tackling issues and inadequate performance against the run from his college days at Colorado. Yet he showed improvement in both areas his rookie season, which led many to believe his sophomore pro campaign would be even better.
It wasn’t.
Pro Football Focus ranked Witherspoon the 112th overall cornerback in 2018 with a grade of 44.