49ers NFL Draft history: Top 5 defensive backs drafted in the 2000s

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Jaquiski Tartt #29 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

No. 5: Safety Jaquiski Tartt

Some may say it’s a bit too early to call safety Jaquiski Tartt a top-five defensive back draft pick of the 49ers. But the fact that he has made it through five seasons with the team and looks poised to be in a starting role in 2020 put him ahead of many others.

Tartt was taken in the 2015 NFL Draft in the second round (46th overall) out of Samford. He appeared in 15 games each in his rookie and sophomore seasons. But his 2017 and 2018 campaigns were cut short due to injury.

In 2019, though, he became a key part of a top-ranked 49ers defense, starting in the first 12 games. Tartt sat out of the final four regular-season games due to a nagging rib injury. And in those games, his absence was increasingly felt with receivers having their way with the defense.

In the game against the Atlanta Falcons, wide receiver Julio Jones posted 13 receptions for 134 yards and two touchdowns. The following week against the Los Angeles Rams, wide receiver Robert Woods and tight end Tyler Higbee both went off for 100-plus yards receiving.

There is good reason to believe those big games would’ve been minimized had Tartt been playing.

Tartt did return for the playoffs and started in all three games including the Super Bowl. Although he hasn’t been voted to a Pro Bowl as yet, he is an important part of this current 49ers defense. If all goes as planned he should be the starting strong safety for the team in 2020, his sixth season.

And that makes him an important defensive back draft pick in recent team history.