San Francisco 49ers’ most underrated player: CB Charvarius Ward
There is a new revolution in press coverage going on in today’s NFL, but Charvarius Ward, an undrafted free agent from Middle Tennessee State who caught on with the Chiefs in 2018, has been way ahead of the game in this regard. Ward led the league in press snaps in his second, third, and fourth seasons. Last season for the NFC champs, Ward was in press on 231 of his 1,172 snaps, ranking 10th in the NFL. And when targeted in press, Ward allowed 14 catches on 34 reps for 6.0 yards per reception, three explosive plays, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
Overall in coverage last season, Ward allowed 55 catches on 101 targets for 653 yards, 245 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, five interceptions, an astonishing 23 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 63.7 — his best in a season to date. Ward may have taken a while to become a force in the NFL, but coming into his 28-year-old season, he’s in perfect position when it comes to the NFL’s defensive trends, and that certainly shows up on the field.
Charvarius Ward led the NFL in press reps in 2019, 2020, and 2021, He finished 10th last season with 231 press reps. There's a reason he's asked to do it as often as he is. Hip-pocket match defender with the size and aggressiveness to disrupt at the line. pic.twitter.com/LbjW3IMzhC
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) May 20, 2024
