The San Francisco 49ers could use more help on defense going into the 2026 season, and ESPN’s Seth Walder sees a move that makes sense.
Walder proposes that the 49ers trade for Atlanta Falcons star safety Jessie Bates III and a 2028 sixth-round draft pick in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick. Atlanta spent on Bates with a four-year, $64 million deal, and it’s worth the 49ers bringing in the three-time second-team All-Pro.
Bates has spent the past three seasons in Atlanta after he started his career with the Cincinnati Bengals as a second-round pick from Wake Forest. He had a career year the first year in Atlanta for 2023 with 132 tackles, six interceptions, three forced fumbles and a pass deflection.
“He was good again in 2024, but he wasn’t quite on the same level last season,” Walder wrote. “Still, the 29-year-old Bates remains one of the best safeties in the league.”
San Francisco has a familiar face for Bates in defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who previously served as the Falcons head coach. Bates would bring a lot immediately to the 49ers secondary with talent and leadership.
49ers Need ‘Upgrade at Safety’
San Francisco bringing in Bates would be “an upgrade at safety,'” as Walder alluded to. Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha are the starters at the moment, and both had varied success last in their careers.
Mustapha had 72 tackles, an interception and three pass deflections last year, but he also recently endured a hamstring injury. That could be a problem going forward. In addition, Mustapha only has two career interceptions, eight pass deflections and 148 tackles in two seasons, so there’s a lot of growth ahead for the young safety.
Brown had 76 tackles, a forced fumble, two interceptions and six pass deflections last year. He has been with the 49ers for three seasons and has been a regular contributor in 49 career games. In that span, Brown has 188 tackles, five interceptions, a forced fumble and 16 pass deflections.
Brown and Mustapha don’t have big numbers for interceptions, so adding Bates could make a big difference in the team’s ability to create takeaways. Second-string safeties Marques Sigle and Ashtyn Davis aren’t likely to nab more than an interception or two, based on their career numbers.
“The timing works,” Walder wrote about the proposed trade, “as the 49ers are contenders who could use defensive help after ranking 25th in EPA allowed per dropback last season.”
“San Francisco would be giving up real draft capital for a rental player, but that’s an indicator of Bates’ skill and the fact that his contract would cost the 49ers only $13 million in 2026 — a below-market price to sign a player of his caliber,” Walder concluded.
Raheem Morris Ready to Roll With Current Safeties
Whether or not the 49ers trade for Bates, Morris likes what he sees from the current safeties in training camp.
“Tig [Brown] and a lot of the other safeties have been really impressive,” Morris told reporters on Aug. 1. “They’ve gotten hands on the balls, having a chance to knock some passes down, do a bunch of different things as far as covering.”
“Watching these guys really gain a grasp of the defense and really communicate at a very high level with Fred [Warner],” Morris added. “It’s hard not to when you’ve got those guys out there at the linebacker position doing what they do to be able to read the right call and be able to communicate with those guys is really easy.”
“I’m very impressed with the guys being able to pick it up and how much they love football. That’s the really cool part about this place,” Morris concluded.
Proposed 49ers Trade Lands $65 Million Defensive Star