The San Francisco 49ers made a low-key but potentially impactful addition to their secondary this offseason, signing former New York Jets and New York Giants safety Jason Pinnock to a one-year deal. With second-year safety Malik Mustapha expected to miss the start of the 2025 season due to an ACL injury suffered in last year's finale, Pinnock could play a crucial early role.
No one on the 49ers' coaching staff knows Pinnock better than defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. As head coach of the Jets during Pinnock's rookie season, Saleh saw firsthand the safety's growth and versatility. Although, it's noteworthy that the Jets waived Pinnock ahead of the 2022 season.
Speaking with reporters this week, Saleh provided insight into that decision, sharing that the Jets initially saw him as a cornerback when they selected him in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
"We drafted J.P. as a corner, and halfway through his rookie year, we moved him over to safety," Saleh said. "Credit some of the guys at the Jets that are still there, just kind of beat him out in that second year."
Pinnock quickly landed with the Giants, where he began to fulfill his potential.
"Pinnock might be the most physically impressive safety the 49ers have had in a while," The Athletic's Matt Barrows recently wrote. "He's got good length, long arms, and excellent speed."
Pinnock started 16 games and made 85 tackles in each of the past two seasons with the Giants, recording five sacks and two interceptions during that span. Saleh continued to monitor Pinnock's progress and remains a firm believer in his skill set.
"I've always been a fan of his athleticism, his length, his football IQ," Saleh noted. "He's a really good football player, and just being with him over the course of the first couple of months, he's grown significantly from a maturity standpoint, and he's attacked the heck out of it. He's going for it."
With the 49ers looking to bring back a more aggressive and physical identity to a defense that has underachieved in recent years, Saleh believes Pinnock is a strong fit.
"So, with Jason, you're getting a guy that's going to add athleticism and speed and football IQ to your football team," he said. "And now, that's just a matter of him competing and holding onto it."
The 49ers' safety depth chart is still taking shape. Along with Pinnock, the team drafted Marques Sigle in the fifth round and is counting on a leap from Ji'Ayir Brown, a third-round selection in 2023.
If Pinnock impresses during camp, he and Brown could be the starting duo when San Francisco opens the 2025 season in Seattle against the Seahawks.