Jared Mayden was 49ers best undrafted free-agent signing
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers didn’t have a lot of roster holes to fill in the 2020 NFL Draft and afterwards, but undrafted free-agent safety Jared Mayden could be a steal of steals.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have shown a knack for identifying and bringing aboard undrafted talent.
In 2017, the Niners inked former Georgia Southern running back Matt Breida, who was a staple of the ground game through 2019, while also bringing aboard Eastern Washington wide receiver Kendrick Bourne. And Bourne remains a key part of Shanahan’s offense, too.
The 49ers brought aboard 10 undrafted free agents following the 2020 NFL Draft. And while there’s already been a good deal of attention surrounding Baylor’s JaMycal Hasty, another potential find, another from the UDFA ranks could wind up providing San Francisco with hidden-gem abilities this season and beyond.
Former Alabama defensive back Jared Mayden.
Mayden was largely overshadowed by his former Crimson Tide teammate, Xavier McKinney, who ended up being selected in Round 2 of the NFL Draft. But that shouldn’t be a knock against Mayden, who recorded an impressive four interceptions his senior year.
| Tackles | Def Int | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF |
| *2016 | Alabama | SEC | FR | DB | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| *2017 | Alabama | SEC | SO | DB | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| *2018 | Alabama | SEC | JR | DB | 10 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
| *2019 | Alabama | SEC | SR | DB | 11 | 31 | 28 | 59 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 54 | 13.5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Career | Alabama | 44 | 37 | 81 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 4 | 54 | 13.5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 5/2/2020.
Starting in 2018, Mayden filled a lot of roles with Alabama’s secondary, starting off as a boundary cornerback before moving back to safety. It’s possible he can revert back to corner in a pinch, and the 6-foot-0 and 201-pound defensive back can operate from both safety spots. It wouldn’t be a total shocker to see him as a nickel back, either.
Mayden also had a fan in ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., who sang some noteworthy praise on ESPN’s First Draft Show podcast (h/t 24-7 Sports):
"I’ll give you a guy out of the SEC, and (Senior Bowl director) Jim Nagy mentioned him as being a surprise he wasn’t invited to the Combine, is Jared Mayden out of Alabama. Coming from that program, you know you’re well coached with Nick Saban. He coaches up those DBs. That’s what he does. He works them hard. He drives them hard. Jared Mayden as a late-round pick certainly has an opportunity to make a football team and be a definite contributor."
49ers get needed depth with Jared Mayden
Mayden slipped through day three of the NFL Draft, eventually landing with the 49ers. And it isn’t as if the Niners are well stocked in the defensive backfield.
Cornerbacks Richard Sherman, Ahkello Witherspoon and K’Waun Williams are all poised to hit free agency in 2021. Strong safety Jaquiski Tartt is entering a contract year, too, while free safety Jimmie Ward has an injury history associated with him landing on season-ending injured reserve in four of his first six years at the pro level.
San Francisco’s depth behind these players isn’t overly ideal.
It’s likely the 49ers envision Mayden developing into a key support piece, potentially as soon as 2020, hopefully turning into a quality versatile piece to their defense in coming seasons.
Next. Predicting 49ers' 53-man roster after 2020 NFL Draft. dark
If Mayden seizes on the opportunity, there’s a great chance he winds up being the next great UDFA find by Lynch, Shanahan and Co.