49ers: Identifying the best player at each position after 10 games

San Francisco 49ers: Identifying the best player at each position after 10 games

SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 22: C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers hands the ball off to Carlos Hyde #28 during their NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi's Stadium on October 22, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

3 of 11

SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 17: Tight end Jimmy Graham #88 of the Seattle Seahawks drops the ball while being tackled by safety Jaquiski Tartt #29 of the San Francisco 49ers in the first quarter of the game at CenturyLink Field on September 17, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /

Safety

Best Player: Jaquiski Tartt

After two so-so years in a 49ers uniform, third-year safety Jaquiski Tartt has easily emerged as one of the team’s better defenders this season.

A broken forearm suffered in Week 9 ended his season prematurely. But before that, Tartt had already climbed the ranks to being a starter capable of locking down either the free or strong safety spots in San Francisco’s defense.

Heck, his play even forced the veteran, Eric Reid, out of the starting strong safety spot.

Despite missing time with the injury, Tartt still ranks third on the roster in tackles (37) and has one of the six interceptions the 49ers defense has managed this year.

With Reid hitting the free-agent market this offseason, there’s a real chance Tartt makes his predecessor expendable.