49ers roster: 3 biggest individual weaknesses heading into 2022
By Peter Panacy
49ers concern No. 2: Strong safety
So much for thinking San Francisco’s long-time starting strong safety, Jaquiski Tartt, will have another one-year return to the squad that drafted him way back in 2015.
Tartt just inked a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, crossing that possibility off the table and leaving the 49ers with their apparent contingency plans they were going to roll with all along:
- Talanoa Hufanga
- Tarvarius Moore
- George Odum
- Leon O’Neal Jr.
Hufanga, the second-year pro out of USC, has been getting the bulk of first-team duties in offseason workouts so far but had just three regular-season starts last season. And while he might have made a notable leap from his first year in the NFL, it’s still fair to question his speed and coverage abilities.
Likewise, Moore is working his way back from a torn Achilles that kept him out all of 2021, so his ability to contribute at 100 percent is fairly in question.
As for Odum and O’Neal? Well, the former is a four-year special teams ace with just 10 defensive starts in his career, while the latter is an undrafted free agent.
Perhaps Hufanga winds up securing this spot and impressing, or Moore is fully recovered and finally ready to assume a featured role after being drafted in Round 3 back in 2018.
The Niners better hope one of those two scenarios plays out since there aren’t exactly a lot of other options.