Tag: Malik Mustapha

49ers rookie has officially jumped up depth chart after earning Week 4 start

The 49ers had a new starter on Sunday, an indicator that their depth chart has changed.

The San Francisco 49ers’ blowout win over the New England Patriots in Week 4 began with an interesting wrinkle.

Strong safety Talanoa Hufanga was ruled out of the contest with an ankle injury he suffered in Thursday’s practice. That opened the door for a new starter to jump into that role.

For the first two weeks it was veteran George Odum in the starting spot while Hufanga finished his recovery from an ACL tear he suffered last season. This week was different.

With Hufanga nursing an ankle issue, the 49ers turned to rookie fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha as their starter.

“Yeah, we thought he was ready for it,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said in a press conference after the game. “When him and (Odum) G.O. were going, we started rotating him a little, I think the second week. He’s been doing awesome in practice. We started to mix him in there in game two. I think (Hufanga) Huf came back in game three, so we didn’t need to do it. But when we found out Huf couldn’t play today, we knew he was next man up.”

Mustapha rotated in and actually out-snapped Odum in Week 2, but he didn’t see much action in Week 3.

In Week 4 he was the strong safety, an indicator that he’s eclipsed Odum on the depth chart and has firmly grasped the No. 3 safety spot where the club will turn to him if there’s an injury. They may also start sprinkling in some three-safety looks where Mustapha is on the field with Hufanga and Ji’Ayir Brown.

For now he’s steadily climbing the depth chart. Barring a major injury he’ll be the No. 3 safety the rest of this year, but his rise bodes well for his chances to snag a starting job in 2025.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

2 49ers rookies may see more playing time after Week 2 debuts

Could these 49ers rookies see more playing time after their brief Week 2 outings?

A pair of San Francisco 49ers rookies made their debuts on the defensive side of the ball in Week 2.

Cornerback Renardo Green and safety Malik Mustapha both saw action on defense against the Minnesota Vikings after only playing on special teams in the season opener vs. the New York Jets.

Green played four snaps as a fourth cornerback. Mustapha rotated in at strong safety with veteran George Odum and played 31 snaps.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday that both players could see similar roles against the Rams depending on how their game plan shakes out.

“Possibly. They have to be ready, always, in case of an injury,” Shanahan said. “I could say they don’t have any plans to play or to go in and then one play happens and they’re in the rest of the game. It was nice to mix Malik in last week. I thought he did well with his reps. Renardo came in on a couple of dime packages and he did well with his reps too. So possibly with the scheme, whatever that is this week, we can keep building off that. But if not, they’re always one play away from playing the rest of the game.”

Green is still behind Isaac Yiadom on the 49ers’ depth chart, and it doesn’t sound like he’s going to pass him despite a tough game from Yiadom in Minnesota. If the rookie second-round pick does play it’ll likely be in the dime package like the one he played in against the Vikings.

Mustapha is a more interesting case because starting strong safety Talanoa Hufanga is expected to return in Week 3. However, Hufanga’s workload is still a question mark. If he ends up not playing a full complement of snaps, we could see Mustapha rotate in as the backup.

Regardless of their roles in 2024, both Green and Mustapha figure to play big parts in the 49ers’ defense in 2025 and beyond.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

4 49ers rookies change jersey numbers after final cuts

Hot of the presses! New jersey numbers are out for 49ers rookies:

The San Francisco 49ers had a quartet of rookies change their jersey numbers once the dust settled from final cuts.

Cornerback Renardo Green, safety Malik Mustapha, wide receiver Jacob Cowing and running back Isaac Guerendo all made number changes ahead of the team’s Tuesday bonus practice according to the Athletic’s Matt Barrows.

Green, who rocked No. 31 during the preseason, changed his number to 0. That jersey was previously worn by CB Samuel Womack, who was waived at final cuts. The Indianapolis Colts claimed him off waivers.

That jersey number has only ever been worn by Womack in 49ers history. He began wearing it last season when the NFL changed its jersey number rules.

Mustapha wore No. 43 in the preseason, a traditional safety number. He will now wear No. 6 in the regular season. He joins Deommodore Lenoir and Charvarius Ward as players wearing single digits in the 49ers secondary. Safeties Talanoa Hufanga and Ji’Ayir Brown wear 29 and 27, respectively.

Cowing was another player who wore a traditional number for his position in camp. His preseason jersey number was 83. He’ll now wear No. 19, which was most recently worn by WR Deebo Samuel. Samuel changed to No. 1 this offseason.

During camp, veteran WR Trent Taylor rocked the No. 19 jersey. He was released and then re-signed to the practice squad. His new numbers is 81 since he didn’t retain his jersey number after camp because of his release.

Perhaps the most notable change is Guerendo, who wore No. 49 in the preseason. That is an objectively atrocious number for a running back. He’s now wearing No. 31 – still not great, but better than 49.

Green and RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn were both No. 31 in camp. Vaughn was waived and re-signed to the practice squad. Green, of course, relinquished 31 to take No. 0.

We may see plenty of these jerseys on the field in the season opener on Sept. 9. Green could be the team’s starting slot corner, while Guerendo and Cowing could both start as returners on special teams.

The rest of the rookie class will apparently retain their numbers. First-round pick Ricky Pearsall is No. 14, third-round pick Dominick Puni is No. 77, and seventh-round pick Tatum Bethune will stay with No. 48.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Huge hit by 49ers rookie reminiscent of 49ers Hall of Famer

Malik Mustapha’s big hit against the Titans looked like a play by a 49ers Hall of Famer.

The San Francisco 49ers had to be pleased with their 2024 rookie class in their preseason debut against the Tennessee Titans.

Third-round pick Dominick Puni got the start at right guard. Second-round pick Renardo Green showed off his versatility playing outside cornerback and in the slot.

Rookie fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha also got a ton of burn after first-team safeties Ji’Ayir Brown and George Odum exited the game. He got off to a rough start, falling down on a blitz, then getting out of position on a long completion to a Titans tight end.

He bounced back strong though, and made his presence felt on a fourth-and-1 run late in the second quarter near the goal line. Mustapha shot a gap and blew up Titans running back Hassan Haskins for a turnover on downs.

The hit was reminiscent of a play 49ers Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis made when he was in college at Ole Miss.

Against LSU, Willis shot a gap the same way and dropped the RB with a perfect form tackle the way Mustapha did. Here’s a video filmed on a six-week old potato:

Mustapha has a long way to go to be as impactful as Willis. However, his flashes in his preseason debut bode well for his chances to be an effective pro.

At Wake Forest, physicality and strong tackling were two things that jumped out about Mustapha’s game. That those two things translated in his first NFL game action are a great sign for him.

It’s unlikely Mustapha will start this season with Brown and Talanoa Hufanga ahead of him on the depth chart. There could be chances for him to get on the field in some three-safety looks if he continues building off the foundation he built in Tennessee.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Malik Mustapha might be most important member of 49ers’ 2024 draft class

Why Malik Mustapha is the most important 49ers’ 2024 draft pick:

There aren’t that many worlds where the 49ers can salvage the trade up in the draft for quarterback Trey Lance. Safety Malik Mustapha, a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft, gives San Francisco at least a slim chance to do it.

Regardless of the reason the Lance trade didn’t work for the 49ers it’s impossible to call it a success. They dealt three first-round picks and a third-round pick to move up for a player they traded before that player’s third season began. That’s a mess no matter how many ways it gets sliced.

Last year San Francisco sent Lance to the Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round pick. It was that pick, No. 124 overall, that landed the 49ers Mustapha.

This is their lone path toward salvaging something from the initial Lance deal. Not that they’ve been mired in mediocrity or not having success on the field. They’ve been to at least the NFC championship in every season since the trade, but Mustapha is now the ultimate result of that deal.

While finding quality safety play is imperative in a pass-heavy NFL, finding players specifically like Mustapha who can play in coverage while providing enough thump against the run to stay effective when offenses go bigger is essential.

However, on top of the importance mentioned above, there’s the added layer of softening the blow of the Lance deal. Chances are Mustapha isn’t going to be Ronnie Lott. If he can be a Pro Bowl or All-Pro caliber safety though it would be much easier to erase some of the negative fallout of the Lance deal. The 49ers will never get those first-round picks back and we’ll never know what players they would’ve drafted had they not moved up in the 2021 draft. We also don’t know whether those players would’ve helped them win a Super Bowl. For now the unknown weighs heavily though in the light of two NFC championship game defeats and an overtime loss in the Super Bowl.

Mustapha has a chance to usher in a new era for the 49ers’ defense though. And if he can do that while playing at a high enough level that he helps San Francisco eventually win a sixth Lombardi Trophy, it would undo lot of the weight sitting on the franchise from the 2021 draft gone wrong.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

WATCH: 49ers 4th-round draft pick Malik Mustapha brings the thump in college highlights

Check out these highlight clips of #49ers 4th-round pick S Malik Mustapha:

The 49ers made Wake Forest safety Malik Mustapha the 124th overall pick in the 2024 draft. He may not start on Day 1, but there should be a long-term role available for him beyond the 2024 season.

Watching highlights of Mustapha makes it clear why San Francisco loves his upside. There won’t be a ton of electric athletic flashes, but he is an outstanding, instinctual football player who is able to constantly be around the football despite not having the elite speed traits teams may typically look for at safety.

Mustapha has enough athleticism to cover tight ends and wide receivers in short areas, but his calling card is the thump he brings as a tackler, and that shows up constantly in his highlight reels:

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

 

 

 

 

 

Instant analysis: Why 49ers added S Malik Mustapha in Round 4 of NFL draft

Why’d the #49ers draft a safety? Because getting cheaper at that position may be key over the next couple years:

The 49ers brought in more safety help with the 124th overall pick in this year’s draft by taking Wake Forest safety Malik Mustapha. That selection illustrates what changes are likely coming in San Francisco’s secondary.

Mustapha plays an instinctive, hard-hitting style that should fit nicely long-term alongside 2023 third-round pick Ji’Ayir Brown. With cap space likely to be tight for awhile, the chances the 49ers are able to sign former All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga this offseason could dwindle if he bounces back strong from a torn ACL.

There could be a bag waiting for Hufanga in unrestricted free agency that prices him out of what the 49ers can afford. Having young, cost-controlled starting safeties will be key to solidifying the back end of their defense.

If Mustapha brings the physicality he played with in college he should quickly find a home in San Francisco.

The snaps won’t be there right away though. The 49ers are anticipating Hufanga will be back from his torn ACL during training camp, and the other starting job is carved out for Brown. Contributions from the fourth-round safety may be limited to special teams this year, but he has plenty of experience there so he should be able to help on those coverage teams while the team grooms him as their starting strong safety of the future.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

49ers add secondary help, select Wake Forest S Malik Mustapha with 124th overall pick

The pick is in! It’s a hard-hitting safety for the 49ers at No. 124 overall.

The 49ers added more help to their secondary with their first pick in the fourth round of this year’s draft. At pick No. 124 they took Wake Forest safety Malik Mustapha. The 49ers acquired this selection in the trade that sent quarterback Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys.

Mustapha is in a similar mold to 49ers second-round pick Renardo Green in that he doesn’t bring ideal measurables, but he plays extremely hard and brings a ton of physicality at safety.

He began his college career at the University of Richmond, but transferred to Wake Forest after one year. In three years at Wake Forest Mustapha played in 35 games with 23 starts. He posted 175 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, four forced fumbles, 10 pass breakups and three interceptions with the Demon Deacons.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Lions draft prospect of the day: Malik Mustapha, S, Wake Forest

Mustapha is a very impressive athlete and offers some middle-round upside for a team like Detroit

Today’s Lions Draft Prospect of the Day is one of the most physically impressive figures in the 2024 draft class. 

The focus for these potential Lions prospects is on players who should hold some appeal for Detroit in the draft. Not all will be top-100 players, though today’s featured player could threaten to crack that mark. 

Malik Mustapha, S, Wake Forest

Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 209 pounds (measured at NFL Scouting Combine)

Mustapha was a three-year player and two-year starter for a good Demon Deacons defense, primarily playing as a box safety. A transfer from Richmond after one year, Mustapha racked up 175 tackles, four sacks, 10 pass breakups, four INTs and also forced four fumbles in his three years in Winston-Salem. He was a team captain in his final season and appeared in the Senior Bowl. He led all DBs in bench press reps at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine with 22.

The Lions met with Mustapha at the Senior Bowl and informally at the combine. Age is not verified, but he was in the high school class of 2020.

What I like

  • Very impressive muscular build
  • Despite being very muscular, he’s not stiff as an athlete
  • Big-time hitter with an enforcer mentality in short-area coverage and run defense
  • Really good closing burst to the point of attack; GPS timed over 23 MPH in-game
  • Impactful between-the-tackles run defense, an excellent terminator of interior run plays
  • Good at avoiding blocks, and his angles to the ball have shown improvement
  • Disciplined in containment and gap assignment in the run game
  • Can turn and run with any RB or TE in coverage

What worries me going into the NFL

  • Bites hard on play-action and well-run route fakes and has never gotten better at avoiding it
  • Can be very late to recognize the ball in the air
  • Does have special teams experience but missed as many tackles (6) as he made for Wake Forest in kick coverage
  • Lacks length in coverage
  • Has an oddly small tackling radius with short arms (30″)
  • Missed tackle rate over 18 percent for three years, did improve in 2023 (12.5% per PFF)
  • Instincts in coverage are spotty
  • Wasn’t asked to blitz despite often being in an alignment where he could

Overall

Mustapha has a first-guy-off-the-bus build and the explosive athleticism to match. He did play some high safety and a little bit of heavy slot in college, but Mustapha doesn’t have the savviness or ball awareness in coverage to do that very often. In the NFL, he’s a box safety who is really more of an undersized linebacker. Think of a shorter Miles Killebrew but with much better run defense. Mustapha generally projects in the 90-150 overall range, an area where the Lions don’t currently have any selections.

Which prospects did Colts meet with at NFL combine?

A quick list of who the Colts met with at the NFL combine.

The NFL Scouting Combine wrapped up this weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium as the Indianapolis Colts continue marching toward the 2024 NFL draft.

While the on-field drills and measurements get most of the public attention, the combine is more important for NFL teams to gather medical information and meet with prospects ahead of the draft.

There are essentially two types of prospect meetings at the combine. The formal interviews garner the most attention. Each team gets a 20-minute interview with up to 45 prospects throughout the week of the combine. They take place in the suites at Lucas Oil Stadium and typically include the majority of high-ranking officials and coaches.

Each team conducts formal prospect meetings in a different manner.

There also are informal interviews. These are less structured. A coach or scout from a team may schedule a quick one-on-one chat with a prospect. There are no time limits on the informal interviews.

The Colts likely met with more prospects than will be listed below, but we can only go off what has been reported. We’ll add any new names to the list if reports come out in the following days.

Here’s a quick rundown of who the team met with during combine week: