49ers NFL Draft: 4 college prospects who could replace Jaquiski Tartt

While the 49ers may want to retain veteran safety Jaquiski Tartt, these four NFL Draft prospects might help fill the void if he leaves in 2022.

There are plenty of reasons why the San Francisco 49ers would entertain the idea of bringing veteran strong safety Jaquiski Tartt back for another go-around.

Forget about his dropped would-be interception in the NFC Championship game for a moment. And to a point, let’s forget about his otherwise lengthy injury history. That matters, but it could also potentially drive down his NFL free agency asking price.

Still, Tartt might not want to settle for the kind of team-friendly deal he sought out a year ago when the market wasn’t overly good for his services. And while the Niners can always hope depth safeties like Talanoa Hufanga and Tavarius Moore can somehow plug the void, there hasn’t exactly been any concrete evidence they have a clear-cut replacement option on the roster.

Should San Francisco not re-sign Tartt this offseason, the 2022 NFL Draft nevertheless provides some potential options spread throughout all three days.

Let’s take a look at four potential prospects who can help fill the void.

49ers Option No. 4: Bryan Cook, Cincinnati

The 49ers will have no chance to land the consensus top safety in this year’s class, Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton, who could easily be a top-10 pick. And with the Niners’ pressing needs elsewhere, they might have to wait until day three of the draft anyway.

If so, one player they can hope will fall a bit is Cincinnati safety Bryan Cook, who shone nicely in 2021 with two interceptions, 96 total tackles, five of which were for a loss, and two interceptions.

At 6-foot-1 and 208 pounds, it’s Cook’s physicality, speed and football IQ that should entice a team like San Francisco, as Bleacher Report explained here:

"— Smart player who plays with very good overall awareness and vision. Shows anticipation and quick reaction to get a good jump on the balls thrown. — Good athletic ability and speed to run in coverage. Has the top-end speed to run with most receivers, along with recovery speed to get back in phase. — Physical player who throws his body around. Delivers a blow on contact and sticks ball carriers for limited extra yards."

Cook isn’t a big playmaker, though, so he loses to Hufanga in that regard. Unlike Hufanga, however, Cook has the speed necessary to play deep and not always towards the line of scrimmage.

Probably a Round 4 selection, Cook might be on the 49ers’ radar.

49ers Option No. 3: Kerby Joseph, Illinois

If you’ve read a lot of Niner Noise lately ahead of NFL Draft season, you’ll know we’ve already targeted Illinois safety Kerby Joseph as a likable option to replace Jaquiski Tartt, doing so in our post-Super Bowl mock draft.

Not shying away from that at all here, as Joseph was a playmaking force for the Fighting Illini last season, coming away with five interceptions, two fumble recoveries and 57 total tackles.

This gives Joseph, who has a wingspan of nearly 80 inches, a sizable edge over Bryan Cook, and his Pro Football Network scouting report highlights why Joseph could easily be a draft riser leading up to April:

"As is often the case with game-changing prospects, their athletic traits are what set them apart. Joseph’s physical profile is, in fact, quite enticing. The Illinois safety stands at around 6’1″, 200 pounds. With that frame, he has 33 1/8″ arms. That’s elite length for a defensive back, and it affords him a massive disruption radius at the catch point, as well as impressive leverage as a tackler. Beyond his frame, Joseph is an explosive athlete with long strides. He can accelerate quickly and easily track receivers downfield. When he opens his hips and actively pursues plays, he hits a great second gear. With his explosiveness and speed, Joseph possesses high-end range. The Illinois safety can close in from sideline to sideline and erase space for offensive players. He also closes ground quickly when triggering downhill on ball carriers."

Read More: 49ers’ 5 biggest needs in 2022 NFL Draft

All this potentially comes at a cost, though, and it’s likely the 49ers would have to use one of their day-two picks to grab him instead of waiting on someone like Cook to fall into Round 4.

Still, the combination of playmaking abilities, ballhawking tendencies and his sheer frame should be more than enticing enough to get the Niners to bite.

49ers Option No. 2: Jaquan Brisker, Penn State

If San Francisco is putting a bit more priority on more of an in-the-box safety, Penn State’s Jaquan Brisker should definitely be on its radar.

Brisker, 6-foot-1 and 204 pounds, is an exceptional athlete and is someone who can thrive in the side-to-side responsibilities closer to the line of scrimmage. However, his straight-line speed isn’t anywhere close to being a liability, so it’s not as if he can’t be asked for more traditional two-high looks with him on the back end.

Like Kerby Joseph, albeit over a longer timeframe, Brisker has regularly been a playmaker, too, finishing his collegiate tenure with five interceptions, 14 passes broken up, 85 total tackles and one fumble recovery.

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference
Generated 2/25/2022.

Brisker is far from perfect in coverage, though, and that’s why some feel as if he’s more inclined to roles down in the box.

However, there’s a good chance he winds up rising higher than where the 49ers are poised to draft, potentially early in Round 2.

49ers Option No. 1: Jalen Pitre, Baylor

Much like Kerby Joseph, Niner Noise has had no shortage of attention given to Baylor defensive back Jalen Pitre, who played both safety and nickel cornerback during his five-year collegiate tenure, which accumulated 195 total tackles, 36 of which were for a loss, eight sacks, four interceptions, 10 passes broken up, two defensive touchdowns and three forced fumbles.

Quite the résumé entering NFL Draft season.

Our friends over at NFL Mocks should also get you fired up about Pitre might have to offer to an NFL team, too:

"The ability to be “position-less” as a defensive back is becoming more and more valuable with the amount of uniquely talented pass catchers coming into the league, and the 2022 NFL Draft is no different. This includes the speed demons in the slot, the massive bodied tight ends and the fleet-footed running backs out of the backfield. Pitre has a rare blend of strength and athleticism for his frame and is able to do well against virtually any assignment. This blend also shows up as a run defender. Pitre consistently brings the pain when he is barreling down on a ball carrier."

In addition to this, Pitre plays relentlessly and offers up a high motor when on the field. If the Niners need to replace Jaquiski Tartt, Pitre can do it. If they need to replace nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams, also a pending free agent, Pitre can help with that, too.

There are some concerns Pitre might rely too much on his instincts rather than technique, and his tweener-type 6-foot, 197-pound frame might be a bit undersized for a strong safety role, thereby pushing his draft stock down towards the end of Round 2, perhaps.

Still, the playmaking skills are there, as is his versatility, and those can sure benefit San Francisco.