49ers' top pick Ji'Ayir Brown finally gets to live his dream
Ji'Ayir Brown has had to display a lot of patience in his first NFL season after being selected as the top pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of this year's draft. But his moment finally arrived in Sunday's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the rookie safety could hardly have […]
Ji'Ayir Brown has had to display a lot of patience in his first NFL season after being selected as the top pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of this year's draft.
But his moment finally arrived in Sunday's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the rookie safety could hardly have been more prepared.
It didn't look as if he was ready shortly after he was forced into the lineup after All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga suffered a torn ACL late in the third quarter.
Brown was caught flat-footed on the first play of the fourth quarter, which saw fellow rookie Rakim Jarrett beat him up the seam for a 41-yard completion. Two plays later, Rachaad White plunged in for a one-yard touchdown to cut the Niners' lead to 27-14.
Having played a role in giving the Buccaneers hope, Brown redeemed himself in a big way to end Tampa Bay's unlikely comeback bid, turning his first significant action on defense from a potential nightmare into a dream that will live long in the memory.
Brown takes his opportunity
On fourth down from the San Francisco 12-yard line with cornerback Charvarius Ward briefly out of the lineup, the 49ers sent Isaiah Oliver on a blitz from the slot. Baker Mayfield heaved the ball up towards the corner of the endzone to Mike Evans with Brown in coverage. However, the former Penn State star recovered the initial separation and made a superb play on the ball to break up the pass.
The subsequent series, which came after a second successive three and out from the offense and a Buccaneers punt return to the San Francisco 13-yard line, saw even greater heroics from Brown.
He jarred the ball loose to prevent a would-be touchdown throw to tight end Cade Otton before then intercepting Mayfield in endzone on a tipped ball with under four minutes remaining to essentially ice the game.
For Brown, his quick success in atoning for the big play he surrendered and stopping the Bucs' attempt at a late rally was the product of a disciplined commitment to preparation that he has maintained despite being limited to special teams for most of his rookie year.
Hard work pays off
Asked how it felt to record that decisive interception in his first meaningful action on defense, Brown replied:
"Someone just said over there and it's the same way I feel, the biggest thing you can ask for is for a young guy to be ready. Every week, I've been preparing for that day. I never knew when that day was going to come, but I was just preparing consistently every day. We were working hard, meeting for extra time with the coach. And, when my number was called today, I was fortunate enough to go out there and execute the job."
With Hufanga now out for the season, Brown will get a lot more opportunities to prove himself as the 49ers attempt to end their wait for a sixth Super Bowl title after falling agonizingly short in three of the last four campaigns.
Brock Purdy is excited to see him take those opportunities, Brown having helped the San Francisco quarterback prepare for one of the Buccaneers' best defenders during the week of practice.
Said Purdy:
"Ji'Ayir, I mean, all the weeks so far he has given us a great look with playing safety, and then obviously with [Antoine] Winfield being one of their best defenders on defense, Ji'Ayir did a great job with just all the looks. They did a bunch of stuff with Winfield and Ji'Ayir, even at practice was a ballhawk. He has great instincts and was just all over, just like Winfield. He gave us a great look. And then for him to go in the game and be ready to play for our defense and what we ask of our safeties, he did a great job. So, we're all pumped for him and really happy for him and going to see more of him. So, we're excited."
Excitement was an overriding emotion for Brown, whose rookie season is about to get a lot more interesting.
"I'm always enjoying it. Out there with Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Chase Young, all these great guys. How can you not enjoy it? You're living the dream," Brown said. "I'm literally walking in my dream. So I'm enjoying every moment, every little detail. It's just been amazing for me."
Despite his success against the Bucs, opponents will likely make a habit of attacking Brown during a critical stretch of the 49ers' season, which in the next three games sees them face the Seattle Seahawks twice either side of an NFC Championship Game rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles.
As such, Brown will need to ensure he is ready for everything some high-level opponents are set to throw at him to ensure he can continue to enjoy an unexpected opportunity. How he will handle that challenge remains to be seen, but there's no doubt he will put in the work to be as prepared as possible.
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