SF 49ers: 3 under-radar second-year players to watch in 2021
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: SF 49ers Safety Jared Mayden
Out of all of San Francisco’s undrafted free-agent selections from 2020, few stood out as much in terms of promise than safety Jared Mayden.
True, Mayden was overshadowed at Alabama by his former teammate, now-NY Giants defensive back Xavier McKinney. But Mayden was equally impressive enough at the collegiate level, finishing his career with the Crimson Tide with 81 tackles, six passes defended and four interceptions.
The SF 49ers featured Mayden in only two games last year, and all of his 24 snaps came on special teams. Simply put, there wasn’t enough room for him on the regular-season roster despite a flurry of injuries within the secondary.
But with strong safety Jaquiski Tartt likely departing in free agency this offseason, along with an uncertain future facing his backup, Marcell Harris, there’s a good chance Mayden slides into a No. 2 backup role in the wake of Tartt’s would-be departure.
Right now, it seems premature to assume Mayden starts. Yet a climb up the depth chart should do Mayden some good, and it’s not out of the picture to see him become the next UDFA hidden-gem find the Niners have had luck with in recent years.