The San Francisco 49ers' safety room could be getting a talent infusion in a new way-too-early look at the 2027 draft class. USA Today Sports' Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz predicted the San Francisco take Notre Dame's Brauntae Johnson with the No. 19 overall pick in his new mock draft, pairing new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris with a ball-hawking safety in the mold of players he's leaned on before.
As head coach of the Falcons, new 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris got plenty of mileage out of letting Jessie Bates III be a roving playmaker in coverage. In San Francisco, he doesn't have anyone who truly looks up to the task, with the team's safeties combining for just three interceptions and 11 passes defensed last season. Johnson's risk-taking tendencies in coverage might be more palatable for a 49ers secondary that hasn't enjoyed the ball production he can muster.
Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound redshirt sophomore, has emerged as one of the top safety prospects in the country early in the 2026 season, drawing praise for his instincts, range and ball skills after picking off four passes in 10 games last year. ESPN's Jordan Reid has called him his highest-ranked safety in this draft cycle "despite being relatively inexperienced" and even had him going as high as No. 14 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Johnson had 48 combined tackles and four interceptions in 10 games for the Fighting Irish this past season. San Francisco's need at the position is real. The 49ers' safety group of Ji'Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha produced minimal takeaways in 2025, and Morris — who built his Atlanta defense around Bates' ability to roam the field and create turnovers — doesn't yet have a clear equivalent on the roster. It's worth remembering how far away this pick actually is. Johnson has an entire 2026 college season left to play and mock drafts this early are more about identifying fits than predicting outcomes. But if San Francisco's safeties continue struggling to make plays on the ball as the season unfolds, Johnson's name is one worth watching heading into 2027. This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 2027 NFL mock draft: 49ers finally address long-neglected position