Ji'Ayir Brown says he hasn't stopped smiling since the San Francisco 49ers made him a third-round draft pick two weeks ago. The safety and the rest of the rookie class arrived in Santa Clara this week for the team's two-day rookie minicamp, which kicks off today. So far, the former Penn State defender has been very impressed with his new NFL home.
"This organization has a great staff," Brown said, speaking with reporters on Friday. "When I came here on my top 30 visit, I was so amazed by how well we connected, me and [defensive coordinator Steve] Wilks, me and [general manager] John Lynch. It's just been like a bond from the jump. So I was like, 'If I get to San Fran, man, I love San Fran.'
"And then I end up going to San Fran. I knew soon as I [dropped to] the third round, I said, 'The kind of connection we had, they got to come get me.' And when they came and got me, it was just sky's the limit from there."
The 49ers called Brown before trading up to get him, letting the safety know the upcoming move was for him.
"Everybody was screaming around me, so I couldn't even really hear the coach on the phone," Brown shared.
He wasn't even sure who he was speaking to. It turned out to be head coach Kyle Shanahan, but there was too much noise around him to know at the time.
"Everybody just yelling, so it was crazy," Brown added. "It was a crazy night. I couldn't put it in words how amazed and how excited I was."
Browns' future role
Talanoa Hufanga and Tashaun Gipson are slated to be the 49ers' two starting safeties in 2023. Gipson flirted with retirement this offseason, though, eventually signing a one-year deal to return to the Niners in what might be his final NFL season.
Obviously, the team envisions Brown taking over for Gipson upon the veteran's departure, pairing him with Hufanga, the young safety named an All-Pro in just his second season.
"He's a great player," Brown said of Hufanga. "Just watching the film, trying to learn the system, trying to be a sponge, he's a guy I look at 24/7. I think he does a lot of things right, and he's definitely a player you can model your game after. So all ups to Huf."
Brown added, "If the coaches think that it's best for me and him to be together, then that will happen."
The rookie is also looking forward to working with and learning from Gipson. He's ready to soak up whatever knowledge the veteran is willing to share.
"It's amazing having a vet in any aspect of life, somebody that can walk you through the same steps they walked through, can give you advice," Browns said. "I feel like experience is the best teacher. Who has more experience than him on the squad? So it's a blessing to be working with him, too."