San Francisco 49ers: 5 UDFAs with best chance to make 53-man roster
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: 49ers Safety Jared Mayden
One could make the argument the Niners’ best UDFA signing in 2020 was former Alabama safety Jared Mayden, who could have been drafted on day three yet somehow slipped through the selection cracks.
And San Francisco pounced shortly thereafter.
Mayden was largely overshadowed by his Crimson Tide teammate, fellow safety Xavier McKinney, who was a first-round prospect eventually selected in Round 2. But that shouldn’t discount Mayden’s potential pro-level impact.
Alabama didn’t hesitate rotating Mayden all around its secondary. And while Mayden doesn’t quite have the ranginess to play a single-high free safety role, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see him as more of an in-the-box safety at the next level.
Considering the 49ers could lose veteran safety Jaquiski Tartt to free agency in 2021, developing Mayden as a possible long-term replacement should be one of Robert Saleh’s bigger priorities between now and Week 1.
And if that process goes well enough, it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see Mayden make a notable impact his rookie season.