Final year-end grades for 49ers 2021 NFL Draft class

Round 5, Pick No. 180 Overall: 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga

The Niners’ final pick in Round 5 of last year’s draft, safety Talanoa Hufanga, might never be solid enough to assume the starting role at strong safety if the veteran, Jaquiski Tartt, departs via free agency this offseason.

At the same time, though, Hufanga frequently was able to overcome his shortcomings on the field — most notably his straight-line speed — by making the occasional splash play here and there.

None more notable than scoring that incredible touchdown after San Francisco’s special teams blocked punt against the Green Bay Packers in the 2022 divisional round of the playoffs.

Hufanga is likely going to develop as a quality special teams contributor with the ability to play in big-nickel packages where he’d pair with two other safeties with better speed. Additionally, his three starts over the year suggest he can serve as a decent backup, too, but that’ll likely appear to be his ceiling.

As far as coverage went, Hufanga still allowed a 114.1 passer rating with two touchdowns allowed, but him breaking up two passes during the year helped matters to a small degree.

Not bad for a day-three pick.