49ers absolutely must address this position on Day 2 of 2024 NFL Draft

The 2024 NFL Draft is fast approaching and the San Francisco 49ers have several needs to address.

However, there is one position they absolutely must address on Day 2 of the draft and that is the safety position.

49ers absolutely must address safety needs on Day 2 of 2024 NFL Draft

The Niners have been pretty strong at the safety position the last few seasons. Even though longtime safety Jimmie Ward left the Niners in free agency last offseason, they still had 2022 breakout Talanoa Hufanga and veteran Tashaun Gipson to rely on.

Hufanga tore his ACL in the middle of last season. This immediately made the safety position a bit of a revolving door for the rest of the year. Rookie Ji'Ayir Brown stepped up and played well last season before he got hurt, and they had to bring in the now-retired Logan Ryan.

There will be much more uncertainty around this position going into next season. We do not know how Hufanga will look coming off of the ACL injury. One would hope he will get back to the level he was at before the injury, but these things are never a given. Brown looked solid last year, but he is still a young player and will need more room to grow. Plus, Gipson seems likely to retire at the age of 34 years old and remains unsigned.

The 49ers reportedly talked with safety Justin Blackmon in free agency, but he re-signed with the Indianapolis Colts. This would suggest that the 49ers realize the safety position is a need for them going into next season.

Because the team did not add any free-agent safeties, although they did re-sign safety/special teams star George Odum, they absolutely must add a safety on Day 2 of the draft.

If they can select a safety in the early-to-mid rounds, that would go a long way towards adding depth at this position. They will probably not be able to snag one of the top safeties available, but if they can get a mid-tier prospect with some upside, that could give the Niners a solid group of safeties to work with going into next season.

The 49ers have several needs to address in the 2024 NFL Draft, but they simply cannot afford to forget the safety position on day 2.

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