(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The San Francisco 49ers have done a good job of drafting, especially in the later rounds, ever since John Lynch took over as their executive in 2017, and they have a couple of incoming rookies fans are hopeful about.
Ricky Pearsall, their first-round pick in April, is thought to have the ability to become a featured wide receiver, while Malik Mustapha, a safety they took in the fourth round, also seems to have some potential to become a rotation player.
Per Coach Yac, Mustapha has a physique that looks like it was perfectly crafted for the purpose of NFL stardom.
49ers rookie Malik Mustapha was built in a lab. Sheesh pic.twitter.com/L5s65j4kv4
— Coach Yac (@Coach_Yac) July 15, 2024
Numbers-wise, Mustapha doesn’t seem like an imposing physical specimen — he’s 5-foot-10 and 209 pounds — but he has obviously been hitting the gym lately.
The North Carolina native spent his first year of college at the University of Richmond before transferring to Wake Forest University, where he earned Second-team All-ACC honors last season.
While the 49ers were the NFL’s best defensive team in 2022, they took a step back in that department last season, and they could use some help in their secondary.
Talanoa Hufanga made the All-Pro First Team in 2022, but he tore his ACL late last season, and it isn’t a given he will remain with the team after his current contract expires following this coming season.
San Francisco has been mired in extension talks with star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, and quarterback Brock Purdy will soon be due for an extension of his own.
Mustapha is a hard-hitting safety who is versatile, so there is always the chance that if he impresses this fall, the team could go with him rather than Hufanga in order to stay under the salary cap and keep its other stars.
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