Breaking down the 90 players on the 49ers offseason roster in 90 posts (over 90 or so days). Today is sixth round pick Tarvarius Moore

Coming out of college, I was positive that the San Francisco 49ers selection of Tarvarius Moore was a good one. Moore was one of the true sleepers at safety in my eyes. Because the 49ers only added one player in the secondary during the 2019 NFL Draft, Moore has a chance to see the field. He has to beat out the likes of Ahkello Witherspoon, Jason Verrett, and a couple other names, but it’s better than having to beat out another early round selection.

Moore, a junior college transfer, only had one season of significant playing time at Southern Miss, where he played safety. The 49ers moved him to cornerback, expecting his size and athleticism make it a smoother transition. Moore is 6-foot-1 and ran a 4.32 40-yard dash, with a 39.5 inch vertical jump, and a 6.89 3-cone at his Pro Day. Moore is an elite athlete, so there’s no sense in giving up on him any time soon.

Basic info

Age: 22 (Turns 23 on August 10th)

Experience: 232 snaps.

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 199 lbs.

Cap Status

Tarvarius Moore signed his rookie deal in May 2018.. His total contract is valued at $3.35 million, with a 2019 cap number of $799,093.

What to expect in 2019

Improvement. Seeing Moore take the next step with a full offseason playing cornerback. Moore received valuable playing time towards the end of the season, especially the final three games. Moore allowed 16 of his 25 targets to be completed, but only for an average of 10.8 yards per pass. Where the improvement needs to come is finding the ball. That will come with experience. Moore allowed three touchdowns in the final three games. He also did not break up a pass or record an interception. With his length, you’d like to see that change in 2019.

For playing a position at the highest level for the first time in his life, Moore competed. Now it’s time to show progress. This year will tell us if Moore has the potential to start in the future, or if he’s simply a depth piece.

Odds of making the roster

The 49ers aren’t going to cut their third rounder from 2018. There’s no sense in doing that. He played 329 snaps on special teams last year, so there’s a role for him. If Moore continues to improve his technique at cornerback, while learning the ins and outs of the position, we could see him play more on defense as well. I know there’s a few that think he’s the placeholder for Richard Sherman come 2020. Moore will tell us this year if that’s true or not with his play.