It took awhile, but Jimmie Ward has finally gotten some credit for his relatively thankless role in the back end of a 49ers defense that’s defined by its front seven.
Ward, a year after not landing in the NFL Wire’s list of the 11 best safeties in the NFL, found himself at No. 4 in this year’s expanded 13-player list. It was his remarkable coverage numbers that facilitated his rapid rise. Via Doug Farrar:
Over time, Ward has transitioned from a slot/box defender to more of a pure free safety — last season, he had 652 snaps at free, 270 in the box, and 252 in the slot — and 2021 marked his best season to date in that particular role. Ward allowed 23 catches on 41 targets for 298 yards, 75 yards after the catch, one touchdown, three interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 56.8. That’s far better than in any other season in his career — Ward’s opponent passer rating of 102.5 in 2015 was his previous best.
