With 49ers OTAs in full swing, we’re taking a position-by-position look at the team’s roster to figure out the strengths, weaknesses, potential dark horses to make the team and other nuggets about the players who will be competing for jobs on the 53-man roster.
The 49ers last season saw a little bit of tumult at safety, but the position wound up becoming such a strength for their defense that they decided to run it back with the same pair of starters this year. They also spent traded up to No. 87 in the draft to pick a safety which could have an immediate impact despite the pair of incumbents returning.
New defensive coordinator Steve Wilks’ background is largely based in his work as a defensive backs coach. His experience in that area combined with San Francisco’s personnel could mean a different look at how the 49ers’ defense operates in the back end this year.
It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see them execute more three-safety looks where they can maximize the skill sets of their top defensive backs while also providing some wrinkles aimed at matching modern offenses that are trending toward more positionless looks.
Things should stay largely the same for the 49ers’ safeties this year, but those potential wrinkles could be important. Let’s look at the group of players competing for roster spots there this offseason:
Talanoa Hufanga
Hufanga was very good last season in his first stint as the 49ers’ starting strong safety. He played and started all 17 games and stuffed the stat sheet with 97 tackles, five tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, nine pass breakups and four interceptions. His ability to generate turnovers was big for a secondary that hadn’t created a ton of them under head coach Kyle Shanahan. Hufanga starred at USC thanks to his athleticism and playmaking abilities, and he showed both of those things as a full-time NFL starter. While he was a First-Team All-Pro, Hufanga has to clean up some of his over-aggressive mistakes. Once he does that it’s going to be hard to find many safeties in the NFL better than him.
Tashaun Gipson
It’s something of a miracle that Gipson even made the 49ers’ roster last year after signing just a few days before the preseason finale. He parlayed his chance to start into the best season of his career. San Francisco re-signed Gipson this offseason and he figures to be the starter at free safety again after leading the club in interceptions in 2022. It’s clear Gipson doesn’t have the deep range he might’ve had before entering his early 30s, but he’s still a very smart player who is rarely in the wrong spot. Having a reliable veteran manning the back end of the defense will be helpful for Wilks and San Francisco.
Ji'Ayir Brown
The 49ers weren’t supposed to pick until No. 99 in this year’s draft, but they moved up to No. 87 because they had to have Brown out of Penn State. He needs some polish, but there aren’t a lot of things he can’t do on the football field. His ability to grow under Hufanga and Gipson should put him in good shape long-term, but his athleticism and playmaking skills should also get him some playing time in his rookie year. Whether he’s hanging out near the box in coverage or playing deep, Brown’s skill set should quickly translate to the NFL and give Wilks the ability to run some three-safety looks. If Brown really takes off in training camp, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him push for a starting job.
George Odum
Odum was signed last year for his special teams contributions, and he figures to be in line for a roster spot again for those same reasons. He was very good on coverage teams last year and helped an abysmal 49ers special teams unit improve. There probably isn’t much of a role for Odum on defense, but he’s too valuable in that third facet to leave out of the mix.
Myles Hartsfield
There are a handful of really interesting players on the 49ers’ roster this offseason, and Hartsfield is one of them. He signed on a one-year deal after spending his first three seasons with Carolina where he played under Wilks in 2022. His familiarity with Wilks could give him an inside track to a job, but it’s his versatility that really stands out. Hartsfield played both safety positions, linebacker and nickel corner for the Panthers. The ability to line up deep, hang out in the box, and cover from the slot is very valuable and it should be enough to give Hartsfield consideration to make the club if he plays well in camp.
Tayler Hawkins
Hawkins made some waves in the preseason and training camp last year and even had some reporters wondering if he’d land on the roster. He wound up spending the year on the practice squad and is back with the club for another camp and preseason. It’s not out of the realm of possibilities that Hawkins puts together another really strong camp and makes a push for a roster spot. However, it’s a crowded room with a couple of starters, a high draft pick and a special teams ace already in the mix. Hawkins’ chance to stay in the Bay Area may have to come via the practice squad where he’d provide good internal depth.
Avery Young
Young was one of the 49ers undrafted free agent additions this year. He spent five seasons at Rutgers where he posted 310 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and three interceptions in 56 games. Experience will be helpful, but Young is likely vying for a practice squad spot with such a crowded road ahead of him.
State of the Roster
