Rookie safety Malik Mustapha saw his first regular-season defensive snaps on Sunday in the San Francisco 49ers' 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. After being limited to just 17 special teams snaps in Week 1 against the New York Jets, Mustapha logged 31 defensive snaps in Week 2, working alongside Ji'Ayir Brown.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed after the game that the plan was to gradually work Mustapha into the defensive rotation, splitting time with veteran George Odum. Despite the shared duties, Mustapha ended up playing the most snaps of the two, while Odum was limited to 23.
Unfortunately, neither player earned standout marks from Pro Football Focus. Mustapha finished with a 53.0 defensive grade, while Odum came in slightly higher at 53.2. Brown had the lowest overall grade on the team, with a disappointing 40.2 mark, thanks to a team-low 37.8 coverage grade.
Brown and Odum were the safety duo on the field when Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson caught a deep pass from quarterback Sam Darnold for a 97-yard touchdown.
JUSTIN JEFFERSON 97 YARD TUDDY!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/0PJs9mheCK
— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2024
Shanahan emphasized that Mustapha's entry into the game following Jefferson's touchdown was not a reactionary decision.
"Our plan was, the third series of the game, to get him in," Shanahan said Monday on a conference call. "I don't know if that was the third or fourth, but we had planned that all week anyway. We wanted to do it a little bit in the first game, never did. We were going to do that, try to play him throughout the game a little bit. It had nothing to do with that play."
Mustapha did shine in one area—tackling. His 82.2 tackling grade was second-best on the team, trailing only cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, who earned an 85.7 grade in that category. While Mustapha's overall defensive performance remains a work in progress, as expected from any rookie, his ability to wrap up ball carriers shows promise.
The 49ers are hopeful that All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga can return to the lineup soon. Hufanga, returning from an ACL injury suffered in November 2023, has been practicing with the team and is inching closer to game action.
"He's looking good," Shanahan said. "He's had two good weeks, had a real good week last week. So, hopefully, he can get in and play this week and have three good practices."
Once Hufanga returns, the 49ers will have a deep and versatile safety group featuring Brown, Odum, Mustapha, and the All-Pro. Despite some early growing pains at the position, the team hopes a strong rotation of safeties will help solidify the back end of their defense as the season progresses.
