If you're not familiar with San Francisco 49ers second-year safety [Jaylen Mahoney](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MahoJa00.htm)'s game, that's OK.
The 2024 undrafted free-agent pickup out of Vanderbilt wasn't exactly seen as a high-profile player, particularly with the Niners' other well-known defensive backs -- Talanoa Hufanga, George Odum, Ji'Ayir Brown and then-rookie Malik Mustapha -- garnering the bulk of attention.
So, it shouldn't have been a surprise Mahoney failed to make the 53-man roster in year one, subsequenty joining the practice squad before a late-season call-up in November to help San Francisco account for the swarm of injuries it experienced.
Those three games played late in 2024 bode well for Mahoney's immediate future entering 2025, and further shakeups at safety potentially lead to an increased shot at an increased role.
It won't be easy, though.
Jaylen Mahoney still stands long odds to make 49ers' 53-man roster
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Hufanga is gone, joining the Denver Broncos in free agency, while Mustapha is still on the mend after [suffering a torn ACL](https://ninernoise.com/devastating-injury-key-player-put-49ers-bind-entering-2025-nfl-draft-01jsv1v6mztq) to close out 2024.
That means, out of the incumbents, only Odum and Brown occupy significant roles on the safety depth chart. Good news for the 5-foot-11 Mahoney, who saw precisely zero defensive snaps his rookie season but contributed 30 on special teams.
However, the 49ers hope for Mustapha's early return, and they also added a trio of defensive backs who likely stand in the way of Mahoney's ascent up the depth chart: veteran free-agent pickups Jason Pinnock and Richie Grant, as well as rookie draftee Marques Sigle.
Pinnock and Sigle, in particular, are the players to watch here, while Brown's hopeful bounceback efforts from being benched late in 2024 are worth monitoring, too. It's likely Mahoney would have to outperform at least one of those three in training camp to stand a remote chance, especially with Odum's All-Pro level of play on special teams effectively ensuring his own roster spot.
Mahoney, who inked a reserve/future contract last January, has zero in guaranteed money on his contract. So, should the Niners feel more comfortable parting ways with him in advance of Week 1, another return to the practice squad is likely.
That said, the safety depth chart is fluid enough to crack open the proverbial door toward seizing a roster spot, provided the second-year pro displays enough prowess between now and the regular season.
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