Emmanuel Moseley went undrafted out of Tennessee and was a long shot to make the 49ers roster out of training camp.
Now, Moseley will step into the spotlight.
Moseley, a 5-foot-11, 184-pounder, will start at cornerback for the 49ers this coming Monday night in a nationally televised game against the Cleveland Browns. Moseley is replacing Ahkello Witherspoon, who was lost for several weeks with an injury in the team’s recent win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
His first assignment will be to cover one of the NFL’s top wide receivers in Odell Beckham Jr.
Sounds like a mismatch, right?
Yet Moseley’s coaches and teammates love what they see in him. Though he’s small, at Tennessee he had a reputation as a hitter and tackler. And his speed (4.42 in the 40-yard dash) makes him San Francisco’s fastest defender. From the start of training camp, Moseley made a positive impression.
Last week he stepped in for Witherspoon and did a solid job. Veteran 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman believes Moseley will be just fine, even when matched against Beckham. Sherman is a big fan.
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“It’s all of it,” Sherman told reporters this week. “It’s his feistiness, it’s his decision-making, it’s his press, it’s his confidence, it’s his movement and his ability to move, his lateral quickness, his straight-line speed. He’d honestly tell you he’s probably the fastest one on the team, and he knows (former Olympian) Marquise (Goodwin) is on the team. And you can appreciate that. Obviously, I don’t think he’s beating Marquise, but you know, he’d tell you otherwise.
“He’s a guy that can play this game at a high level and I don’t think he’s going to shy away from any challenge.”
The challenge will be real. In four games for the 2-2 Browns (after five seasons for the Giants), Beckham has 21 catches for 308 yards and a touchdown. Against the Jets in Week 2, Beckham torched New York for six catches and 161 yards – a 26.8-yard average. He’s had three seasons of more than 90 receptions and has four 1,000-yard seasons.
For the 3-0 49ers, coming off a bye week, the defense will need to keep getting better to control Beckham and the Browns, who are coming off a 40-25 surprise victory over the Baltimore Ravens. Moseley’s play will be crucial to the 49ers' effort.
Kickoff Monday is set for 5:15 p.m.
