Tarvarius Moore among nine second-year players predicted for a bounceback year

What will become of Tarvarius Moore’s second year in the NFL remains to be seen. The defensive back could very well spend August playing free safety, only to return to cornerback in September. Projection and injuries have led Moore to play three positions in three years now. The third-round pick out of Southern Mississippi oozes with athleticism, so there will always be a belief in what Moore can become.

Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski picked nine players headed into their sophomore seasons that were poised for a bounceback season, and Moore was one:

The San Francisco 49ers decided to switch last year’s 95th overall pick, Tarvarius Moore, from safety to cornerback because the defensive back could run well. Moore ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at his pro day.

Moore isn’t a natural corner, and he struggled. As a result, the 49ers are expected to move the second-year defender back to safety.

“His best fit, I think, is free safety,” safeties coach Daniel Bullocks said, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. “We all evaluated him in college, and we liked him because he was playing free safety.”

Moore’s speed is just as crucial at safety because it gives the 49ers a side-to-sideline backline defender in Cover 3 looks. Plus, the defensive back should be more comfortable, though a transition period is needed.

“There are going to be some hurdles for him learning free safety,” Bullocks added. “... When you’re at corner, you see the game outside-in. When you’re playing safety, you see it in front of you. It’ll take him some time to get back in the groove because he hasn’t played the position in a year.”

We all think it, coach Bullocks. It would also be naive to think you can roll Moore out at free safety and expect him to be able to pick up where he left off in college. That’s what these mini and training camp is for.

Moore has all the ability in the world. With the right opportunity, he can show us why the 49ers drafted him in the third round. Given the inconsistencies and the injury history at safety in recent years, I wonder if the current starters will have a shorter leash than usual.

Training camp kicks off this week. We’ll find out soon enough.