San Francisco 49ers: Identifying the best player at each position after 10 games
By Peter Panacy
![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) 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)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/2a461c7c40dac541862c683f307786fcc940165b296db2d06d3cf0ad2cd43f1a.jpg)
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.