49ers: 5 players put on notice by San Francisco’s NFL Draft moves

No. 4: 49ers S Jaquiski Tartt

The 49ers starting strong safety was actually expected to be on the move this offseason as most fans and writers felt the team would be reluctant to sign Jaquiski Tartt to a new deal following the slew of injuries he has suffered throughout the years.

To everyone’s surprise, the Niners gave Tartt one more year with the team, but that may be the last contract he is ever offered by San Francisco, as the team went ahead and drafted strong safety Talanoa Hufanga out of USC in the fifth round of this year’s draft.

Now I have to admit, a fifth-round pick isn’t necessarily a death sentence in terms of a player being potentially replaced, but it can’t be ignored the Niners front office has had an abundance of success drafting in the later rounds, so I have to believe the brass has a lot of faith in Hufanga.

In addition, it is Tartt’s last year with the team, so San Francisco may want to integrate Hufanga into the defensive plans a little more than Tartt may be comfortable with. I doubt Tartt outright loses his job as the teams leading strong safety, but if injuries show up once more, he may be put on ice for the remainder of the season, forced to watch Hufanga from the sidelines as they groom him to potentially be their box safety of the future.

Hopefully, Tartt is able to stay healthy for the entirety of the season.