The San Francisco 49ers didn't do much of anything to reinforce their safety depth chart throughout the offseason, effectively ensuring the incumbent trio of Ji'Ayir Brown, Malik Mustapha and Marques Sigle would all hold significant roles entering 2026.
That all changed, though, with the addition of veteran safety Ashtyn Davis.
Davis, who spent considerable time with former Niners defensive coordinator Robert Saleh when both were with the New York Jets, has 84 games and 34 starts under his belt since Gang Green drafted him in Round 3 back in 2020 out of Cal, and San Francisco's decision to add him to its 90-man offseason roster could go far beyond just having another body to round out the secondary during practices.
Already, Davis made an impression during organized team activities despite only recently having joined the squad.
From Sports Illustrated's Grant Cohn, observing the second OTA practice open to the media:
[Davis] exploded into the hole to stop running back Jordan Mims after a gain of just two yards. Davis clearly is the 49ers' fastest safety. He gives them a skill set they didn't have already.
This presents an unexpected question for new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, and it's also a potential problem for Brown, Mustapha and especially Sigle.
Ashtyn Davis' arrival could prompt some major shakeups for 49ers secondary
Davis appears to be making a positive impact already, which means Morris might have to respond by shaking up the balance of the safety spot.
Both Brown and Mustapha are better suited for strong safety roles, playing closer to the line of scrimmage and not being asked to patrol deeper parts of the field. And Morris might get the most out of Brown by deploying him as a big-nickel defensive back, not a true free safety.
As for Sigle, who had a chance to start early his rookie year but ultimately lost it despite his own flashes of speed, he might feel the heat from Davis' arrival the most, potentially ruining the second-year pro's hopes of landing a starting gig this season.
This certainly wasn't on the docket just a week or two ago when it appeared as if Morris had his crop of safeties from which to choose.
Instead, Davis showing up and impressing early might force the coordinator to change whatever his plans would have been.
Add us as a preferred source on Google