Jimmy Garoppolo will ensure there is intrigue in the final four games of the San Francisco 49ers’ season. But there are other reasons to keep watching.
With Jimmy Garoppolo under center, the San Francisco 49ers will be an intriguing non-playoff team to watch in the final four games. But Garoppolo is not the only reason the 49ers are worth tuning in four.
This is a young team with plenty of raw talent on both sides of the ball and here we look at five reasons, other than their likely franchise quarterback, to keep an eye on this team in the last quarter of the campaign.
Adrian Colbert
The 49ers have suffered key injuries at the safety position in 2017, losing Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt. Tartt’s injury was particularly damaging given the high level he was playing at, but his and Ward’s respective absences may be seen as a blessing as they have allowed Adrian Colbert to see the field.
And, in his limited time as a starter, Colbert has put together performances to suggest the 49ers have unearthed a gem. Possessing impressive range and physicality, Colbert gives the 49ers an athletic enforcer over the middle.
Rookie @AdrianColbert25 joins @Joe_Fann in this week's @ToyotaFanZone 1-on-1 to share his journey from a 7th round pick to a starter in the 49ers secondary. pic.twitter.com/ezdPW5ffxf
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 8, 2017
Colbert, who played at Texas before transferring to Miami, recently said former Longhorn Earl Thomas is the only safety he watches. The rookie seventh-round pick looks readymade to be the 49ers’ version of Thomas and is a player all opposing offenses need to pay attention to.