49ers 90-in-90: S Adrian Colbert

One of the the steals of the 2017 draft was Miami Hurricane safety Adrian Colbert. He was selected by the 49ers in the 7th round as the 229th overall pick. Colbert along with Ahkello Witherspoon had a chance to show what a value they were when injuries depleted the secondary and both stepped up in the second half of the season. They round out an impressive rookie class that by far played more snaps in the 2017 season than any other group.

John Lynch and his staff deserve a lot of credit in regards to the selection of the rookie class while Kyle Shanahan and his coaching staff did an excellent job coaching them up. Colbert played in 14 games and started in six of them. Per profootballreference.com Colbert registered five PBUs, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 30 solo tackles and two combined tackles.

Known as The Punisher for his affinity for the Netflix television series and his violent style of hitting, Colbert has become a fan favorite in a very short time. He previously wore number 38 but after too many comparisons to a 49er who previously wore that number, Colbert has already changed to number 27 for the upcoming season.

Basic Info

Age: 24
Experience: one accrued season
Height: 6’2
Weight: 205 lbs.

Cap Status

Colbert is in the second year of his rookie contract which is a $576,200 cap hit. It would create $512,600 of dead money if he were to be cut. He is signed through the 2020 season.

Why he might improve in 2018

With a year of experience under his belt, there is no doubt that Colbert will improve in the 2018 season. The addition of Richard Sherman to the defensive backs group also has a direct impact on him as a young player. Sherman has been coaching the young secondary up during the offseason at OTAs and minicamp.

During the offseason Colbert also worked with Earl Thomas and several other NFL safeties at Thomas’ “safety summit” in Austin, TX. Training with some of the best players in the league will only raise the level of his game.

Why he might regress in 2018

The only reason that Colbert could regress in 2018 would be lack of desire on his part or an injury. The former is unlikely as his social media accounts show him working just as hard or harder than he does during the season. He is taking advantage of several resources to hone his skills and it doesn’t appear to be coming to an end anytime soon.

Odds of making the roster

At this point in the offseason there is no reason to believe that Colbert would not make the roster. He has been practicing solidly with the first team and barring something out of the ordinary, he will be a starter come September.