Rookie safety Colbert has been impressive
On Nov. 2, when he was asked about moving Jimmie Ward from free safety back to cornerback, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said that wasn’t his preference.
“It’d be something to look at in the offseason, for sure,” Saleh said. “But definitely don’t want to move Jimmie.”
Just over three weeks later, however, the chances of Ward leaving his free safety spot may have increased due to the unexpected emergence of rookie Adrian Colbert.
Colbert, a seventh-round pick, has been forced to play because Ward suffered a broken forearm Oct. 29 and Jaquiski Tartt sustained the same injury a week later.
How impressive has the No. 229 overall pick been? On Tuesday, general manager John Lynch, a Hall-of-Fame finalist safety who went to nine Pro Bowls in his 15-year career, was asked if the team would consider moving Ward back to cornerback based on Colbert’s performance.
“Shoot, (Colbert) keeps playing like he did last week, you consider a lot of things,” Lynch said. “… We really think highly of Jimmie Ward but if Adrian keeps playing like that, you keep putting efforts out like that, you find your way (into the lineup).”
In his first NFL start, a 31-21 win over the Giants on Nov. 12, Colbert had four tackles and flashed his speed to range to the sideline for his two pass breakups. On Nov. 5, in a loss to the Cardinals, Colbert also sprinted to the sideline to bat away another pass.
Against the Giants, he played despite breaking his thumb in the first quarter. The injury required surgery and will keep him out of Sunday’s game against the Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium.
“I know he’s a rookie and I don’t want him to get (a big head),” Lynch said. “But I’m comfortable saying this because I know the type of person Adrian is: That was a really, really good football game. He displayed some things in that game that are characteristic of a starter and a big-time starter.”
Said Seattle head coach Pete Carroll, who spent his first six seasons in the NFL as a defensive backs coach: “He covers a ton of ground. He can fly. He’s aggressive. He has shown up on film.”
The 49ers have been excited about Ward’s potential at free safety, a position in which he excelled in college before he was the No. 30 pick in 2014. However, Ward will finish the season on injured reserve for the third time in his four-year career and will have missed 22 games in his four seasons.
At cornerback, which is generally viewed as a less punishing position, Ward could address a need and the 49ers would still have Colbert and Tartt at safety. Strong safety Eric Reid is in the final year of his contract.
Saleh has acknowledged Colbert, who is 6-foot-2, 205 pounds and ran a 4.40-second 40-yard dash at his pro day, hasn’t looked out of place.
“He’s got great range in the middle of the field,” Saleh said. “He’s what I’ll call professional. He’s a professional safety, he’s a professional football player in that he can go red line to red line and cover you.”
Of course, the 49ers would like to have a larger sample size before making any decisions. Colbert, who could return to play at Chicago on Dec. 3, made just six starts at Texas and Miami and his inconsistent tackling explains why he nearly went undrafted.
In the NFL, he’s exceeded expectations, but Lynch noted that must continue.
“We always tell our guys to force us to make some decisions by just going out there and controlling what you can control. (Colbert) got himself prepared so that when he had an opportunity, he shined,” Lynch said. “Now you’ve got to continue to show that you can do that week after week. That’s the challenge. People in this league can flash, but the guys that really become players are the ones who can stack games like that week in, week out.”