One of the most underrated players on the 49ers is strong safety Talanoa Hufanga.

He wan an All Pro in 2022 when the 49ers had the no. 1 defense in the NFL. Then in 2023, he played the first 10 games, tore his ACL and then the defense fell off drastically even though it still had Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, Fred Warner and Charvarius Ward.

Now it’s unclear how good Hufanga will be when he returns from his ACL surgery, although Pro Football Focus recently ranked him 13th among NFL safeties.

“Following a breakout 2022 season, Hufanga had his 2023 campaign cut short due to injury. However, he still nearly matched his interception total of four from 2022 by picking off three passes across nearly half as many snaps. Hufanga also gave up just one touchdown compared to the six he allowed in 2022 and, as a result, allowed a career-low 72.9 passer rating into his coverage.”

– PFF analyst Zoltan Buday.

This ranking feels too low for Hufanga.

As Buday pointed out, Hufanga actually improved in coverage last season. In 2022, he was a bit of a liability at times because he gave up big plays. In 2023, he did not give up big plays, but he still made them at a high rate. And the run defense in particular completely fell apart without him.

If Hufanga is fully healthy this season, the 49ers once again could have the no. 1 defense in the NFL. If he doesn’t fully recover, neither will the 49ers defense. He’s that important.