5 Things to Know: Safety Malik Mustapha

ESPN's Matt Bowen recently analyzed 16 rookies from the 2024 NFL Draft whom he believes landed in perfect scenarios. Bowen considered traits, scheme, playcalling tendencies, and coaching in his assessment. One player from the San Francisco 49ers' recent draft class made the cut. The Niners selected safety Malik Mustapha out of Wake Forest in the fourth round with the 124th overall pick. The pairing of Mustapha with the Bay Area team, known for its physical defense, has Bowen intrigued. "Mustapha will compete for playing time in the 49ers' secondary," Bowen stated, "where he'll fit as an instinctual split-field safety

Last month, the San Francisco 49ers bolstered their safety group by drafting Malik Mustapha in the fourth round, providing insurance for a position with many question marks heading into the 2024 season. Talanoa Hufanga continues to recover from the torn ACL he suffered in November. Ji'Ayir Brown gained valuable experience filling in for the All-Pro safety but is only entering his second NFL season. Additionally, the 49ers' other starting safety last season, Tashaun Gipson, remains a free agent. Mustapha earned high marks from Pro Football Focus for his play against the run (87.5 grade). Although the 49ers finished with the third-ranked run defense last season, there were some inconsistencies in this area down the stretch. "There's certain things we

Shakel Brown was among several players who participated in a tryout in front of coaches during the San Francisco 49ers' rookie minicamp last week. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports that the team was impressed enough with the defensive lineman to sign him. Defensive lineman Shakel Brown @TROYUnews signed with #49ers after rookie minicamp tryout per a league source

It's not a shock to anyone who looks back at the past two NFL seasons to contemplate that the San Francisco 49ers' offense has finally stepped out of the shadow cast by the team's ever-imposing defense. Since their 2019 Super Bowl run, players like Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, and former 49ers Richard Sherman and Jimmie Ward have garnered most of the attention when talking about the team. That was indeed the case until 2022, when future Hall-of-Fame running back Christian McCaffrey, who came to San Francisco in a mid-season trade with the Carolina Panthers, changed the conversation. The 49ers' offense was suddenly seen not just as a semi-capable complement to a sterling defense, but rather as a unit that could put up some points, and in a dramatic way. With the