Talanoa Hufanga a budding bright spot in 49ers’ elite defense

There were plenty of concerns about whether Talanoa Hufanga would succeed as a starter in year two, but the 49ers safety has put those worries to rest.

The San Francisco 49ers might be out to a frustrating 1-2 start to begin the 2022 season, but there have already been some notable plus points despite the sub-.500 record.

For starters, the Niners defense is shaping up to be an elite unit. And while this was expected, especially in light of Pro Bowl-caliber players like EDGE Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner, it’s another member of San Francisco’s defense who has arguably raised the most eyebrows this season.

Second-year safety Talanoa Hufanga.

The 49ers’ fifth-round pick out of USC from the 2021 NFL Draft certainly came with some questions in the wake of the team bidding farewell to longtime starting safety Jaquiski Tartt during the offseason. Could Hufanga’s relative lack of athleticism and speed be covered up, or would it be a liability despite his playmaking skills?

So far, it appears any of those concerns are no longer warranted.

Talanoa Hufanga making his presence felt for 49ers already

Through three weeks with Hufanga starting, the second-year pro has already notched 21 tackles, three passes broken up, an interception and a whopping four tackles for a loss.

The last category is noteworthy, as he’s currently the only non-front-seven defender out of 20 players who have four tackles for a loss this season.

“The kid is phenomenal,” Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, a USC alumnus himself, told KNBR 680 this week (h/t 49ers Webzone). “And what I love is the timing, and the anticipation, and the feel [for the game]. What’s great is that here’s a guy that looks like he’s moving faster than everyone else.”

Indeed, watching Hufanga make plays surely draws comparisons to another Hall of Fame safety, former Pittsburgh Steelers legend Troy Polamalu, with whom Hufanga trains during the offseason.

As if you didn’t already know that, NBC Sports’ Cris Collinsworth made sure to remind fans during the broadcast of Sunday Night Football in Week 3.

Over the last three-week span, Pro Football Focus has recognized Hufanga as the No. 8 safety overall, him taking home an excellent 80.9 overall grade on the season.

Could Talanoa Hufanga actually improve for 49ers?

Hufanga has all but addressed the concerns many had as to whether or not he’d be effective as a starter.

But it’s also important to remember the Niners have been without veteran free safety Jimmie Ward (hamstring) for all of 2022 thus far, yet Ward is slated to come off injured reserve potentially as soon as Week 5.

Read More: Now is the time 49ers give Talanoa Hufanga a chance to shine

In the interim, Hufanga has played well alongside fill-in safety Tashaun Gipson, who has performed admirably in Ward’s stead.

However, the safety duo of Ward and Hufanga should be notably better, and it certainly has one Richard Sherman excited about the possibility:

Ward is a constant, an excellent defensive presence within San Francisco’s defensive backfield when healthy.

The X-factor, however, has been Hufanga.

And while three games are far too small a sample size to determine whether or not the 49ers have found their long-term answer at the position, Hufanga has done all the right things to suggest he will be for a long, long time.