Talanoa Hufanga told reporters after he was selected by the 49ers in the fifth round of this year’s draft that he wanted to make the Pro Bowl as a special teams player. While he should see some action on special teams, he’s played himself into a potentially larger role in his rookie year.
Injuries ahead of him on the depth chart have given Hufanga an opportunity to get reps with the starting defense in training camp and the first two preseason games. He’s responded with noteworthy performances that could make him the starting strong safety once the regular season begins.
“Yes, I think Hufanga with the way he’s played these last two weeks and the way he’s been in practice, I think he’s definitely given himself an opportunity,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday about Hufanga’s chance to start. “Obviously (SS Jaquiski) Tartt has been out, PUP, and (S) Tavon (Wilson) has had a real good camp too here, so we’ll see how that finishes out.”
Hufanga’s trajectory for this season changed in camp when the pads came on and the full scope of his game came into view. His presence around the football became a regular note from reports out of practice. Shanahan even invoked Troy Polamalu’s name when describing Hufanga’s play.
His debut against the Chiefs saw him notch a pair of tackles on defense and two more on special teams. The productivity went down against the Chargers, but he played as though he belonged on an NFL field.
Pro Football Focus has him down for three total tackles, and one reception allowed for five yards on two targets. That’s good for a 56.3 passer rating against. Hufanga has lined up all over the field, and the lone blemish on his preseason record was a pass interference penalty early on Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill.
Hufanga wanted to be a Pro Bowler on special teams, but there’s a real chance by the time the dust settles that he could be in position to hold an even more valuable role for a San Francisco team that expects to be among the NFL’s best in 2021.