3 free agents 49ers absolutely need after 2022 NFL Draft moves
By Peter Panacy
49ers free-agent target No. 3: Safety Jaquiski Tartt
The Niners already engineered one reunion with Jason Verrett. They could manage another with veteran safety Jaquiski Tartt.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan left the door open for a reunion with Tartt immediately after the NFL Draft. Combine that with the fact San Francisco didn’t draft a pure safety through all seven rounds, and you have a bit of a conundrum.
Currently, the only pure strong safeties who could play the position are Talanoa Hufanga, Tarvarius Moore and George Odum, yet all three are more special teams aces than bona fide starters. And if you’re thinking the 49ers could move their sixth-round draft choice, Penn State defensive back Tariq Castro-Fields, into a starting strong safety role right away, well, it’s probably best not to put a rookie into that kind of situation for a team with nothing short of a Super Bowl title as its goal.
The Niners already whiffed on the chance to land All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu, who is returning home to play with the New Orleans Saints.
And unless there’s some major contingency plan that hasn’t been revealed yet, San Francisco will sorely miss Tartt’s presence.
He should be re-signed on yet another one-year deal without question.