San Francisco 49ers: Analyzing the impact of Ahkello Witherspoon’s injury

San Francisco 49ers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon is expected to miss at least a month of time with a foot injury. How will his injury impact the team going forward?

The San Francisco 49ers defense has been lights out through the first three weeks of the 2019 season — better than anyone could have expected. And one of the primary reasons for the defense’s surprising success has been the stellar play from cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon.

Witherspoon has enjoyed a true breakout season in his third year as a professional. The Colorado product was originally drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft but his career to this point has been very up-and-down.

After a promising rookie campaign, Witherspoon was handed the full-time starting job last season only to struggle mightily as a result. The 24-year-old was victimized by a poor pass rush as the entire 49ers secondary struggled.

And entering the 2019 season, there was even chatter that Witherspoon could lose his starting job in the preseason. The 49ers signed former Pro Bowl cornerback Jason Verrett to a one-year, prove-it contract in the offseason.

Verrett had shown promise of stardom back in 2015 but has had his career derailed by injuries to this point. Still, there was hope that he could return to form — provided he remained healthy — and potentially even take the starting job from Witherspoon.

However, Verrett has looked rusty thus far while Witherspoon has exceeded everyone’s expectations. The former third-round pick has arguably been one of San Francisco’s most vital defenders and he’s been a key piece of a revamped defensive unit.

Unfortunately, the 49ers are going to have to manage without him for the time being.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Monday that Witherspoon would be out of action for at least a month while he recovers from a foot sprain suffered in the team’s victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This is an absolute shame given how well he’s been playing and it could be a major blow to a defense that has looked incredibly strong over the first three weeks of the season. SO the question remains, how will the team replace his production?

While on the surface it seems as though Verrett would be the obvious replacement for Witherspoon, that might not end up being the case. Verrett was inactive for the 49ers first two games and when thrust into action in Week 3, the 28-year-old looked incredibly rusty.

In fact, he was replaced after just four defensive snaps by former undrafted free agent Emmanuel Moseley. Moseley impressed in the preseason and earned a roster spot in part due to his impressive special teams contributions.

More from Golden Gate Sports

• Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
• 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
• Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
• 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
• 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve

While Verrett has more NFL experience, Moseley has looked like the better option. Shanahan even implied that the 23-year-old would be given the edge to start in Week 5 but he and Verrett are expected to compete for the starting job in practice.

There’s also the possibility that the 49ers could explore the trade market to acquire Witherspoon’s temporary replacement — something Shanahan also alluded to. Of course, the top option on the market would be Jalen Ramsey but it also might be the most unrealistic option.

The draft capital required in the trade would be immense and the contract that would be required to keep him around long-term would handicap the team going forward.

They could also explore cheaper options such as Pittsburgh’s Artie Burns or even a more temporary solution such as Chris Harris Jr. of the Denver Broncos.

More from San Francisco 49ers

• 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
• 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
• 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve
• 49ers sign TE Daniel Helm off the Buccaneers practice squad
• 49ers: Jordan Reed could miss up to two months, will be placed on IR

Perhaps the best solution is to wait and see how Moseley and Verrett play when the team returns from their bye week. The hope is that Witherspoon will only miss a handful of games meaning that the 49ers could remain competitive without him.

However, if his replacements begin to struggle, it might not be the worst idea to explore external options.

Let’s just hope that Witherspoon can pick up where he left off once he finally returns.