The 49ers inked Tre Brown as a free agent earlier this offseason, but the 2025 NFL Draft results put his roster spot in jeopardy already.
San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh doesn't mind short-statured defensive backs who can cover the slot. It's one of the reasons why they targeted nickel cornerback K'Waun Williams during the begining of Saleh's first tenure as coordinator back in 2017, and Williams thrived in Saleh's system.
So, upon Saleh's return, an under-the-radar move the Niners made was to ink veteran defensive back Tre Brown, who fits the bill as a small-statured corner at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds.
Having spent his first four years in the league with the Seattle Seahawks, Brown received plenty of influence from Saleh's Cover 3 defense, so the modest one-year, $1.7 million free-agent deal during the offseason with San Francisco could potentially turn into a nice find, especially if Brown continues to contribute on special teams.
But that move was before the 49ers' efforts in the 2025 NFL Draft, which should worry Brown about his future role in the Bay Area.
Maybe his job, too.
49ers' draft moves endanger Tre Brown's roster spot
The Niners focused primarily on the defense during the draft. And while that focus was mostly on the defensive line, two picks were used on the secondary: a third-round selection on Western Kentucky's Upton Stout and a fifth-round selection on Kansas State's Marques Sigle.
Granted, San Francisco might have been pressed into a corner by the Week 17 ACL tear suffered by starting safety Malik Mustapha, news of which broke immediately after the draft concluded. So, targeting two players who can play safety or cover the slot made sense.
But, as far as pure nickel duties go, it's not hard to see why someone like Stout could endanger Brown's immediate future.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan already pointed at Stout as being a contender for nickel duties, and when combined with the other additions to the 49ers' roster, Brown could easily end up being the odd man out.
Sure, he wasn't the only defensive back added this offseason. The Niners inked Richie Grant, Jason Pinnock and Siran Neal, too. But the nature of their respective contracts (including heftier amounts of guaranteed money) point to them having significantly better odds of making the 53-man roster.
Brown's $165,000 in guaranteed funds is a number that won't guarantee a roster spot whatsoever, whereas the others are north of $1 million.
True, Stout and/or Sigle could struggle in training camp, forcing Saleh to rely more on the veteran, Brown.
But, should either rookie impress to the point of earning a starting job, it's likely Brown winds up being shown the door before ever seeing a regular-season snap with San Francisco.