Ashtyn Davis Signing Could Shake up Safety Pecking Order

The San Francisco 49ers signed safety Ashtyn Davis to improve the depth of their safety room, which was lacking prior to the addition. However, he has stuck around in the NFL since being drafted in 2020 and has 34 career starts. Is he a lock to make the 49ers roster, and what kind of role can he have?

Ashtyn Davis will compete to make San Francisco 49ers roster

Davis made 12 of his past 34 starts in 2025, so he has the recent experience to push. However, he is also not a lock to make the team. While the 49ers do only have three competent safeties ensured of making it, there is a question as to how valuable the fourth safety spot is.

Siran Neal has a good chance to make the team as the 49ers' seventh cornerback behind Deommodore Lenoir, Upton Stout, Renardo Green, Ephesians Prysock, Jack Jones, and Nate Hobbs. Still, he is making the roster because he has a long track record of being a core special teams producer. The 49ers could keep a seventh cornerback over a fourth safety, considering they will mostly have the same roles.

At the same time, Davis has 1,228 career snaps on special teams, and last year he had 178 special teams snaps. So, there is just as good a chance that Davis can push Neal, or even one of the end-of-the-roster linebackers, for a roster spot and make the team as a special teams asset.

More than that, there is a real chance that Davis will compete to start. His career status shows a depth piece, and he started for a struggling Miami group last year. Still, the 49ers are not set at safety.

Ji'Ayir Brown has struggled in the starting role at times and might be best in dime. Meanwhile, Marques Sigle was benched after getting a chance to start last year. Davis is more experienced on defense and special teams compared to Sigle, and could end up as the third safety who pushes Brown.

Still, the 49ers have done this before with Brown. In 2023, Brown ended up beating out Logan Ryan, in 2024 Brown beat out Tashaun Gipson, and in 2025, Brown was able to beat out Jason Pinnock to get on the field. Davis could be the next in line behind those players. Still, they all made the roster. Davis should have a good chance to get on the team.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/49ers/onsi as Ashtyn Davis Signing Could Shake up Safety Pecking Order.

Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 12:02 PM.