Rookie safety Ji'Ayir Brown appeared on the San Francisco 49ers' injury report this week, nursing a knee sprain sustained against the Baltimore Ravens. Brown is filling in for starter Talanoa Hufanga, whose season ended due to a torn ACL. Additionally, starting cornerback Ambry Thomas was limited during Wednesday's practice as he deals with knee and hand injuries.
It's a significant blow to the 49ers' secondary, prompting head coach Kyle Shanahan to joke that they might need the services of general manager John Lynch, a former NFL safety.
Shanahan discussed the safety plan if Brown can't play, saying, "Anybody who says they're a corner or safety is a possibility. And if those guys go down, then I would say a linebacker is a possibility."
Despite the injuries, defensive coordinator Steve Wilks remains optimistic about his group.
"Well, I feel real good in regards to the guys that we have, all the way down to [rookie Darrell] Luter [Jr.], if he has to come in and play," Wilks said. "He has definitely shown and gotten a lot of trust from me that he can go in and execute.
"So it's that time of the year that we're dealing with everything that all other 31 teams are dealing with, which are injuries. So we can't find any excuses in regards to that. We got to show up and play."
Wilks highlighted Luter's excellent practice performances, emphasizing his maturity as a rookie and his dedication to improvement, even while he was injured earlier this season.
"He is definitely a guy that's a little bit more mature to be a rookie and how he goes about his day-to-day operation," Wilks shared. "Even when he was hurt, he was constantly here getting treatment. He stayed in there with Daniel Bullocks, the DB coach, trying to get better, and you've seen his development and growth ... when he's out on the field. That's where that trust comes in with me."
Earlier this month, the 49ers signed veteran Logan Ryan to bolster their depth after Hufanga's season-ending injury.
"Logan has done a great job," Wilks affirmed. "I was excited when we got him. I knew, at some point in time, that he was going to do a great job in stepping in for us."
Wilks praised Ryan's communication skills in the secondary, noting that linebacker Fred Warner highlighted his presence after Wednesday's practice.
"So I like his presence," Wilks continued. "He has skin on the wall, as I call it. He's been around the league for a while, played in a couple of Super Bowls, so he understands the magnitude of where we are at this time of the year."
Should the need arise, Wilks also expressed confidence in Isaiah Oliver to contribute at a safety spot, noting, "I think as we try to think ahead, and I don't know if you guys have seen that at practice, but Oliver has been really taking a lot of reps at safety the last couple of weeks. So that would be our next step if something were to happen there."