Ji’Ayir Brown was a third-round pick for the San Francisco 49ers, and the former Penn State product has 18 starts in his first two NFL seasons. However, year three may be the year when he is pushed the most, and his job is certainly not locked down yet. That is why he comes in at number 25 on our roster ranking.
Brown jumped into the lineup late in his rookie season due to an injury to Talanoa Hufanga. He looked good in limited time, and due to Hufanga’s injury lingering into 2024 and Tashaun Gipson getting suspended, he won the job again in year two with limited competition.
However, it is worth noting that when Hufanga came back late in the 2024 season, he replaced Brown and not rookie Malik Mustapha. Gipson and Hufanga are both gone this year, but the 49ers made sure that Brown would not just walk into a starting job, which is how he has accumulated most of his 18 starts.
The 49ers brought in Jason Pinnock who has 39 starts in four years and Richie Grant who has 33 starts in four years. Both of them have the experience to step in and compete or beat Brown out for a starting job.
Brown is entering year three, and the team would likely want to see their draft and development plan work, so Brown should have a slight edge. As long as he can show steps forward, he will get to start. However, there is legitimate competition, and the team has signaled they do not trust him long-term yet. He could be an impactful player, but for now is on the fringe of the top 22.
