ESPN poll helps reveal why 49ers S Talanoa Hufanga was an All-Pro
The San Francisco 49ers All-Pro safety is only improving, as he made an elite poll in his second year.The 49ers have the best defense in the league and stars at every position and level of their unit. However, I wonder if anyone saw Talanoa Hufanga being an All-Pro in his second season.Hufanga is now being […]
The San Francisco 49ers All-Pro safety is only improving, as he made an elite poll in his second year.
The 49ers have the best defense in the league and stars at every position and level of their unit. However, I wonder if anyone saw Talanoa Hufanga being an All-Pro in his second season.
Hufanga is now being recognized as one of the best at his position and is entering his third season.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN does rankings by position yearly, but he bases the rankings on what executives, coaches, and others around the league say. He then has them all rank the players at each position and compiles it together in a consensus ranking. After gathering everything Fowler got, people around the league think Hufanga is the ninth-best safety in the league.
Here is what some of the people around the league think about Hufanga:
Hufanga impressively appeared on more than 70% of ballots. Yes, members of San Francisco's vaunted defense get plenty of built-in hype. And, yes, he has a dominant front seven working in front of him. But evaluators have seen a natural playmaker in his 20 career starts.
"Instincts — he gets the ball, doesn't run fast but is smart, in the right position," an NFC exec said. "In that defense, that goes a long way."
Hufanga was one of five NFL safeties with at least 95 tackles and four or more interceptions last season. On 40 targets as the nearest defender, Hufanga allowed 235 yards and deflected nine passes. – ESPN
All of those things are true. Troy Polamalu, the Pittsburgh Steelers legend and maybe the best safety of all time, has actually served as a mentor to Hufanga, and you can see some similarities in their game.
Making the All-Pro team in your second season is pretty impressive. Hufanga improved significantly from his first year to his second, and I think we can expect him to only get better in year three. The NFL executives just helped explain why is it Hufanga was an All-Pro.
Talanoa Hufanga gets the respect he deserves
Talanoa Hufanga ranked in top five of latest saftey rankings
Featured Image Via Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
