The 49ers added some help to the secondary with their first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting Penn State safety Ji'Ayir Brown with pick 24 in the third round (87th overall).
The 49ers made a trade in order to move up to select Brown (5-11, 203), shipping picks 102, 164 and 222 to the Minnesota Vikings for pick 87. In Brown, the 49ers chose a player who has come a long way in a short time and could be in position to be a future starter at safety in San Francisco.
Here are some things to know about Brown as he begins his career with the 49ers.
Brown could help in a number of ways early while being a potential heir apparent at safety
The 49ers appear set in their starters at safety in 2023 in Talanoa Hufanga and Tashaun Gipson, but Brown could find himself in a position to eventually succeed Gipson, who at age 32 re-signed with the 49ers in March on a one-year deal.
"I'm more excited than anybody to conversate with those guys and learn from those guys and piggyback off each other and see how we can help this team win a Super Bowl," Brown told reporters Friday evening.
In the meantime, Brown could be wearing a number of hats for the 49ers as a rookie. He'll likely help on special teams and can also contribute on defense at a number of spots.
"(Brown is a) versatile defensive back who has shown the ability to line up over the slot, play as a down safety and patrol the outfield as a Cover 1 safety ready to read and range," wrote Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. "...He's a fiery run defender and plays with undeniable coverage instincts. He has an excellent motor that fuels him throughout the game, as well."
Ranked higher than his draft spot
Did the 49ers get a bargain in Brown? There's no doubt a number of draft analysts will feel that way.
ESPN ranked Brown as the No. 67 overall player in the draft and the No. 2 safety. CBS Sports ranked Brown as a cornerback (12th at the position) and No. 83 overall. NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah had Brown as his top safety in the draft.
"Ji'Ayir Brown was my top safety in this class," Jeremiah tweeted. "Reminds me a lot of Micah Hyde."
Not everyone ranked Brown as a Day 2 pick. Pro Football Focus had him as the No. 9 safety and the No. 135 player overall.
"Brown has some of the best ball production in the class, securing 10 picks over the past two seasons," wrote PFF. "If you're drafting him, just know you're getting a risk-taker on the back end."
He was slower than he wanted to be at the NFL Scouting Combine, but it might not be a problem
Brown ran the 40 yard dash in 4.65 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine, along with a 32.5-inch vertical jump and a broad jump of 9 feet, 11 inches. He improved his 40 time during Penn State's pro day, clocking in at 4.57.
But while his times weren't exactly blazing fast, he might not show it come game day.
"The first thing that jumps out on tape is Brown's instincts, which allow him to play a lot faster than his timed speed," wrote Steve Muench of ESPN. "He diagnoses so quickly that he consistently gets early jumps on the ball and does a great job of limiting yards after catch. He's a playmaker who attacks the ball and plucks away from his frame. Brown is an aggressive and physical run defender who fills the alley and always seems to be around the ball."
Brown came a long way in a short time
Brown transferred to Penn State from Lackawanna Community College after the 2019 season. He won the Northeast Football Conference's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019 and was a junior college All-American as a sophomore. At Pen State, Brown had 122 tackles, three fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles to go with ten interceptions, was a third-team All-Big Ten conference performer, and was selected as Penn State's team MVP and the defensive MVP of Penn State's Rose Bowl win over Utah.
Did Brown know in his junior college days that he'd eventually be a third round pick in the NFL Draft?
"I always knew I had the talent. I just didn't know the path that God has set for me, so I knew I was going to be in this NFL draft," Brown said. "I knew I was going to be drafted. I didn't know when, I didn't know where, but I knew I had the talent. I was more than capable playing NFL."
What's in a nickname?
Brown's nickname is Tig, which he uses as his handles on social media. He explained Friday how he got that name when he was little.
"(It) started from Winnie to Pooh and when I was a baby, I used to bounce around a lot," Brown said. "Not even a year old. I used to bounce around on my mom's lap a lot, and she started calling me Tigger the Tiger. And as I got older, it started to stick with me, and I just like, you know what? Let's chop a couple of letters off, call me Tig and everybody start calling me Tig. And it's just been like my real name. It's been a substitute for my real name since I was a baby."