The NFL preseason is an opportunity for young players to establish themselves, which is exactly what rookie safety Malik Mustapha did during the 49ers' 17-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Saturday at Nissan Stadium.
Mustapha, a fourth-round selection by San Francisco in the 2024 NFL Draft, immediately lived up to his reputation as a ferocious hitter, delivering a crushing blow to Tennesee running back Hassan Haskins on a second-quarter goal-line stand.
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Coach Kyle Shanahan was just happy knowing one of his own players wasn't on the receiving end of Mustapha's wrath for a change after the rookie safety made a splash during 49ers training camp.
"It was awesome. It was huge," Shanahan told reporters regarding Mustapha's hit. "Right when he cut it back, and Mustapha coming from the middle there and couldn't hesitate. We knew he was a hitter, so we're excited to see him hit someone else besides our own guys in practice."
Mustapha's physicality is something the 49ers coveted when they selected the hard-hitting safety, with president of football operations/general manager John Lynch voicing how the Wake Forest product perfectly embodies San Francisco's defensive philosophy.
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"We talk a lot about running to the football and getting there with bad intentions, and Malik kind of embodies that," Lynch said in April. "One of our favorite interviews, one of my favorite interviews at the combine. He really handles himself well, but on the field plays the right way."
After striking gold by selecting All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the 49ers might have once again hit the jackpot with a Day 3 safety pick in Mustapha.
“I’m a downhill, speed, tenacity, ballplayer that plays with a lot of fire," Mustapha said after April's draft. "I’m able to line up pretty much everywhere. Just watching the film, I’m able to impact the game on all levels of the football.”
Mustapha wasted no time proving he belongs in the NFL with a thunderous statement in his preseason debut, offering a glimpse of what is to come from the young safety moving forward.
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