Former San Francisco 49ers safety Donte Whitner thinks Ji’Ayir Brown is entering camp with little margin for error.
On " The Grit Code" podcast, Whitner said the 49ers’ safety situation is open enough that Brown could lose his grip on the starting job quickly if he doesn’t separate himself early.
"Has Ji'Ayir Brown shown enough to keep his starting job, or is it time to give one of the other safeties an opportunity?" Whitner said on " The Grit Code" podcast.
"Experience should matter, but in this case, I don't think it does. And they clearly have a weakness at safety, and that's where a lot of the teams and offenses are going to attack.
"I think that he has 10 days from reporting to camp to really flash on the defense, to show his improvements before they start to rotate him with Ashtyn Davis and Marquise Sigle, and it's an open competition."
Brown, a third-round pick in 2023, started 17 games in 2025 and finished with 76 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble. He also shifted to strong safety in Week 6 to make room for a returning Malik Mustapha, and he picked up additional snaps in 2025 as a big nickel, giving San Francisco another option in the secondary.
Whitner said Brown’s versatility is useful, but it has to come with steadier play.
"So, I think that he must show significant progress that first week in camp leading into that first preseason game where he has eye discipline, where his tackling consistency must improve, pursuit angles, range, communication, route recognition, and show that he is the quarterback of the defense, or quickly, Marquise Sigle or Ashtyn Davis will be inserted into the lineup."
The pressure is only increasing because Brown is in the final year of his rookie deal and set to become an impending free agent. The 49ers have not shown urgency to extend him, and they added more competition this offseason by signing Ashtyn Davis, whom Whitner believes can challenge for the job as well. With Sigle also in the mix, Brown’s starting spot is far from secure despite his experience.
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