49ers' Charvarius Ward adding big plays to cornerback repertoire

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Since signing with the San Francisco 49ers in the 2022 offseason, Charvarius Ward has never shied away from the idea that he was brought in to be a legitimate No. 1 cornerback.

It's a role Ward long believed he was ready to handle. Now, as he nears the end of his sixth season, it's increasingly hard to argue with that idea that Ward -- who leads the NFL in passes defended (22), is tied for fifth in interceptions (four) and ranks ninth among cornerbacks with at least 300 coverage snaps in passer rating allowed (70.9) -- is one of the game's best cornerbacks.

"I think he's now playing at that All-Pro caliber level," defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said. "You saw that, and I've seen it all year."

In many ways, Ward's breakout season has been a long time coming. An undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee in 2018, he latched on with the Kansas City Chiefs and quickly worked his way into the lineup. He became a mainstay in their secondary, eventually landing a three-year, $42 million deal with the Niners last offseason.

And while Ward played well for the 49ers in 2022, he is the first to say he's taken it to another level this season.

"I definitely think I'm a little better than I was," Ward said. "I feel like last year I played good, but I'm making a lot more plays this year. It seems like every game I'm getting my hands on the ball. I've just got to stay humble and don't get complacent. I don't want to have a letdown game ... I'm trying to finish this season strong. Go to the Pro Bowl, be All-Pro and win the Super Bowl."

For the first nine weeks of the season, those goals might have seemed distant as Ward was frustrated by two things, one negative and one positive.

The first was penalties, as he racked up 10 infractions (six accepted) for 46 yards. The second was Ward's penchant for breaking up passes -- undoubtedly a good thing -- but only coming up with two interceptions.

Coming out of San Francisco's Week 9 bye, Ward reduced the penalties to next to nothing and continued to break up plenty of passes (11 in four games plus four snaps). But while Ward was lauded for getting his hands on the ball at a league-leading rate, he was bothered by the fact that he didn't have more interceptions.

So, Ward set out to do something about it. Even while dealing with a groin injury, he spent extra time on the JUGS machine. Between periods at practice, he constantly picked his coaches' brains about what they were seeing. He even approached backup quarterback Sam Darnold and asked to catch some balls from him to better simulate how a pass spins.

The result was the game Ward had been waiting for all season. In a Week 15 win against the Cardinals, Ward had two interceptions, including one for a touchdown.

It was his first multiple interception game of his career and the first touchdown Ward scored since he was playing quarterback for the Wolves, his pee-wee football team in Mississippi. Before that game, receiver Deebo Samuel told Ward that his time had arrived.

"It's so crazy, right before the game, I'm like 'It's about time for you to get you a pick. I'm tired of seeing PBUs,'" Samuel said. "And I said you're gonna take one about 90 yards. It wasn't 90, but it was close to it."

Samuel isn't the only Niner who has repeatedly expressed belief in Ward's breakout potential. Ward spent the first part of his career playing for Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo but upon arrival in San Francisco was working with DeMeco Ryans, a coordinator who didn't have much experience working with defensive backs.

When Wilks, whose area of expertise is the secondary, arrived this offseason he saw that Ward, who goes by the nickname "Mooney," was already established as a starter. But Wilks believed there was more to unlock.

"When he first got here, he always told me, 'Moon, you a bad MF'er,'" Ward said. "Just instilling that confidence in me and believing in me. I just want to repay him for believing in me."

Ward's touchdown offered a prime example of how Wilks has helped. In the Saturday walkthrough before that game, the Niners ran the exact play that would result in the pick-six.

On it, Ward would drop into Cover 3 zone, but the rules of his responsibility required him to pass off Arizona tight end Trey McBride had he run any further across the field. When McBride sat down in the zone, Ward knew exactly what play it was, jumping in front of the pass and racing at a top speed of 20.6 miles per hour for the score.

"What you're doing in practice is going to be just a reflection of what you do in the game," Wilks said. "So, he got that rep early, he made that play in practice, and it was just routine when it happened in the game."

Like the rest of his teammates, Ward is quick to say that his top goal is winning the Super Bowl. But he's open about wanting some of the individual accolades that have thus far eluded him.

For Ward, things like Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods are an acknowledgement of a journey that might have once seemed unlikely for those on the outside but have become so real that Ward likes to reflect on how far he's come, with the tacit acknowledgement that there's still much to accomplish.

"I mean that's a hell of a story," Ward said. "The world is starting to see what I'm capable of."