It's better to be lucky than good sometimes. That's what John Lynch may be discovering as second-year safety prospect Jaylen Mahoney continues to excel this preseason. The undrafted defensive back out of Vanderbilt has been the 49ers' most impressive defensive player so far through two preseason games, and it's fair to say it hasn't even been close.
So far, he's had seven tackles, two pass deflections, and even a tackle for a loss while splitting time in the secondary. Pro Football Focus has graded his performances against the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders as 87.7 and 91.4, respectively, which were good enough for the third-highest and the highest-rated player, respectively, among all 49ers defenders, according to PFF.
Only Luke Gifford had as good of a showing, but with far fewer snaps.
Mahoney isn't a name many are talking about as a potential impact player in 2025, but seeing that the incumbent starter, Jason Pinnock, has a history of inconsistent play, Mahoney's time may come. The team wasn't exactly slouches in 2024 when it came to the pass defense, ranking in the top three for fewest yards given up through the air. This unit is expected to carry over the success into 2025, but that doesn't mean Pinnock will remain the starter.
If he struggles, as he has previously, the 49ers would be foolish not to give Mahoney a shot at the starting position. Especially if he's able to make a consistent impact like we've seen through the first two games of the preseason. Now, we should point out that Mahoney didn't blow away anyone last year. In either the preseason or regular season, Mahoney was, at best, average. Nothing to write home about, but for an undrafted player, that's not too shabby.
Yet, his performances have been so strong in the preseason that it may be worth exploring the possibility of Mahoney getting some real time in the secondary. If he's able to produce, then the 49ers may have found their new starting free safety.
And if not, no big deal, as Mahoney was an undrafted free agent. Giving him a shot won't cost the 49ers much of anything but reps. It's worth the risk.