49ers' Day 3 Rookie Picked to Make Surprise Impact

The San Francisco 49ers' secondary movement could be the most detrimental roster shakeup of the offseason. Aside from Malik Mustapha recovering from injury, the Niners lost safety Talanoa Hufunga to the Denver Broncos and cornerback Charvarius Ward to the Indianapolis Colts in free agency.

Strong safety Mustapha suffered a knee injury in the Week 18 of last year, and his return to the field remains uncertain. This opens the opportunity for two backups to fill the defensive backfield to start the season, which could be some cause for concern.

It's expected that Ji'Ayir Brown takes over the free safety spot after he saw 13 starts in his second season with the 49ers in 2024.

For his running mate, returning defensive coordinator Robert Saleh may have to turn to a late-round NFL Draft pick to slide up into the lineup, which has led USA TODAY to name Marques Sigle as a potential surprise contributor this season in the Bay Area.

Sigle, a 5-11 200-pound safety from Kansas State, was drafted late in the fifth round of this spring's draft.

"Sigle brings a ton of athleticism to a safety room that doesn’t have enough of it," Writer Kyle Madson said. "If he winds up starting in Robert Saleh’s defense, he has the tools to become a Swiss Army knife defender who causes havoc in the secondary."

At this year's Combine, Sigle put his traits on full display with an 84 athleticism score - the third-highest of all safeties tested.

The rookie defensive back was best known for his aggressiveness last season with the Wildcats as a team captain. That, according to his scouting report, can sometimes haunt him, as well.

"He’s a physical run defender who can blow up plays in the backfield but is in too big a hurry as a tackler, resulting in a higher miss rate. He might lack the necessary speed and instincts to make plays in coverage from man or zone."

With some fine-tuning at training camp next week, the rookie Sigle can continue to improve an possibly turn into a valuable late-round draft pick, given the Niners' need.

He finished the season with 60 total tackles and career-highs in tackles for loss (7) and interceptions (3) last year.