The 49ers have some options at safety if Talanoa Hufanga isn’t ready to go.
The San Francisco 49ers made their first selection on the final day of the 2024 NFL Draft, adding with the 124th overall pick, which was acquired from the Dallas Cowboys prior to the season for quarterback Trey Lance. So, Mustapha is the lone player left on the Niners roster that can be tied to their blockbuster trade-up for Lance in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Wake Forest’s Malik Mustapha is the 49ers pick at No. 124. I have him as the fourth-best safety in the class and a third-round pick. Mustapha brings the hammer. He’s as physical as it gets. He’s short (10 percentile in height) but not small (61st percentile in weight). Wake Forest used him as a blitzer. He’s not very fluid when it comes to changing directions and can take some suspect angles, but Mustapha is a terrific tackler and should be better served playing in two-high safety looks.
Mustapha was taken right in line with expectation, ranked the 124th player in the consensus big board. A three-year starter at Wake Forest, Mustapha recorded 175 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, seven passes defended, four sacks, four forced fumbles, three interceptions, and two fumble recoveries in 35 games. This past year, Mustapha racked up 80 total tackles and led the Demon Deacons in solo tackles with 45.
The 49ers are currently in line to pick again shortly, rounding out the fourth round with the 135th overall pick.
The Mustapha pick will offer some good depth in case Talanoa Hufanga isn’t ready to go by training camp due to his knee injury.
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