The San Francisco 49ers did not sign a safety during free agency or draft one. They signed a pair after the draft, but the closest body type to a safety that was added was Nate Hobbs this offseason.
After a couple of OTA practices, the 49ers signed former third-round pick Ashtyn Davis. To make room on the roster, running back Jermar Jefferson was waived.
Davis started 12 games last season for the Miami Dolphins, while playing 681 snaps. That was his first season in Miami after spending the previous
five years with the team that drafted him, the New York Jets.
Last season, Davis played 495 of his 681 snaps at free safety. He lined up at linebacker depth for 124 snaps — a sign that he’s more of a “dime linebacker” on obvious passing downs than a true linebacker. The only other alignment where Davis played more than 10 snaps was in the slot, where he played 42 snaps.
Davis did his job by not allowing deep passes last season. He was targeted six times on 20+ air-yard throws, and allowed two receptions. He did not have as much success at the intermediate level, where he was targeted eight times and allowed seven receptions for 114 yards.
As far as injury history goes, Davis was inactive in Weeks 9 and 10 due to a quad issue he suffered in October. Davis also sustained a non-contact lower-left leg injury during training camp in 2025 that caused him to leave the field on crutches in a walking boot. He was fortunate to avoid an Achilles tear that would’ve ended his season. In 2024, Davis missed a pair of games after being placed in the concussion protocol.
