San Francisco 49ers: Bold Predictions for Regular Season
By Marc Grandi
Ward Will Lead 49ers in INTs
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Jimmie Ward intercepted his first professional pass on Sunday. It was an acrobatic catch that made the highlight reel. It’s also a sign of things to come.
It’s likely that Ward is San Francisco’s main nickel cornerback. If that’s the case, he’ll play in more than half of San Francisco’s defensive snaps. The 49ers are a nickel-heavy defense as they are confident in their ability to stop the run, so they are comfortable with dropping more players back into coverage.
There, Ward will likely cover the slot receiver. In San Francisco’s second preseason game against Peyton Manning‘s Denver Broncos, Ward covered Wes Welker — one of the trickiest slot receivers. He did a good job considering the ball wasn’t thrown his way too often.
His interception Sunday showed his quickness and ball-hawk nature. Ward said himself that he loves being a big-hitter, but he told Andrew Pentis of 49ers.com that he knows “turnovers are worth more.”
I’m sure we’ll see a lot of that from him this year.