The San Francisco 49ers made some big moves this offseason. The “big three,” if you want to call them that, were signing wide receiver Mike Evans, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, and trading for defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa.
The Niners made plenty of other moves that flew under the radar. That doesn’t mean those players can’t potentially make a big impact, so let’s look at three overlooked signings from the offseason that could pay dividends over the course of the season.
OL Brett Toth
The biggest question mark for the 49ers right now is at left guard. There figures to be some sort of competition to see who starts there, and Brett Toth could be a possibility or at least be part of a rotation of players who end up seeing time at left guard.
He played 17 games for the Philadelphia Eagles last year and started four of them. He will have to beat out others like Connor Colby and Carver Willis, but if they disappoint or there is an injury, then Toth could prove to be an important depth piece.
CB Jack Jones
The Niners went more for quantity over quality when addressing cornerback this offseason. They signed Jack Jones, who doesn’t exactly leap off the page, but he could end up getting more playing time than many think, even if he did make a bad first impression with fans.
He’s got eight interceptions in his four-year career and could easily get some opportunities if Renardo Green continues to struggle, even though it seems like the Niners plan to give him another chance, and rookie Ephesians Prysock out of Washington doesn’t grab hold of the starting role.
S Ashtyn Davis
Safety is another position the 49ers didn’t invest a ton of resources in despite it being a pretty big question mark. Malik Mustapha, Ji’Ayir Brown, and Marques Sigle may be the favorites, but San Francisco signing veteran Ashtyn Davis was an important move.
Davis was actually teammates with Jones last season on the Miami Dolphins and played in 15 games, starting 12 of them. The former Cal standout had nine picks in his career, and as a veteran, could have a leg up over the younger players if he impresses in training camp and the preseason.
None of these guys made huge headlines when they were signed, but it can often be unsung players who end up making the biggest impact, so the 49ers have to hope they found some diamonds in the rough.
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