49ers NFL Draft 2021: Predicting each rookie’s role, spot on depth chart
By Peter Panacy
. Safety. Trojans . Talanoa Hufanga. 7. player. 808
No. 7: 49ers S Talanoa Hufanga
Of all the 49ers’ day-three pickups during the NFL Draft, USC safety Talanoa Hufanga might wind up being the biggest fan favorite.
For starters, it’s hard not to get pumped after watching his introductory press conference:
Talanoa Hufanga Press Conference
"You're grateful for these opportunities."USC Trojans Safety Talanoa Hufanga met with the media to share his excitement and what he brings to the 49ers.
Posted by San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, May 1, 2021
And on top of that, fans will certainly react positively to Hufanga’s hard-hitting abilities, which often look more like a linebacker than a rangy safety.
On the downside, Hufanga doesn’t have the sheer speed to keep up with faster pass-catchers at the NFL level. Yet his tenacity and always being around the ball — he had four interceptions in just six games for the Trojans last year — are big plusses.
So are his pass-coverage skills, too. He had an exceptional 86.8 pass-coverage grade, per Pro Football Focus, which stands to provide a much-needed improvement over reserve safeties Tarvarius Moore and Marcell Harris, who have both been pushed to the roster bubble by Hufanga’s addition.
Moore could still get the edge over Hufanga on the depth chart as strong safety Jaquiski Tartt’s primary backup. For now.
That’ll likely relegate Hufanga to special teams duties early on. But if he progresses like he did his final year in college, look for him to potentially start after Tartt departs via free agency in 2022.