4 biggest pain points 49ers will have entering training camp
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: 49ers strong safety situation
Sticking with the defensive backfield, another big question is going to be whether or not San Francisco was wise to let its long-time starter at strong safety, Jaquiski Tartt, walk in free agency to join the Philadelphia Eagles.
The 49ers appear poised to hand this job to second-year pro Talanoa Hufanga, who like Samuel Womack, impressed enough during offseason workouts to suggest he’d be equal to the task of starting this season.
Perhaps. And if one subscribes to the idea players make their biggest leaps from years one to two, Hufanga is poised to be an impact player, and he showed some modest playmaking abilities his rookie season, albeit in a limited role and highlighted by that special teams touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC divisional-round playoff game last winter.
However, Hufanga’s straight-up coverage skills left a lot to be desired last year, particularly in light of quarterbacks passing for 205 yards against him for two touchdowns and a passer rating of 114.1.
The Niners don’t exactly have a lot of proven backups to relieve Hufanga if he winds up flaming out during training camp, meaning he either has to excel or fully reveals the liability that could play out over the course of 2022.