Jimmie Ward Injury: 49ers CB Injures Shoulder vs. Falcons

The San Francisco 49ers announced cornerback Jimmie Ward exited Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons after suffering a shoulder injury.

According to ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner, 2016 fourth-round draft pick Rashard Robinson replaced Ward at corner.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller ranked Ward as the No. 2 free safety in the 2014 draft. After the 49ers selected him with the 30th overall pick, his NFL career hasn't panned out as expected—albeit in a positive way. The 25-year-old has flourished after moving from safety.

"We think Jimmie is our best corner," said 49ers head coach Chip Kelly in November, per CSN Bay Area's  Matt Maiocco. "He's our best corner and our best nickel."

While Ward isn't solely responsible for the improvement, San Francisco entered Sunday ranked 14th in pass defense (244.5 yards per game), up from 27th (261.2 yards per game) in 2015.

The 49ers' playoff hopes ended long ago, so Ward's shoulder injury won't have a significant impact on the team, even if he's forced to miss San Francisco's final two games.

His absence could provide a silver lining should Robinson excel with the additional time Ward's injury would afford him. The 49ers are building for the future, so having two talented corners in Ward and Robinson would be a nice luxury going forward.