49ers rookie defender has electrifying 4th-down stop in Week 1 of preseason

One of the more intriguing picks the San Francisco 49ers made in the 2024 NFL Draft was safety Malik Mustapha.

They selected the Wake Forest product in the fourth round, and he made an electrifying stop in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans of the preseason that should excite fans.

Safety Malik Mustapha has been turning heads in training camp with his solid play. The defensive coordinator for the 49ers, Nick Sorensen, has talked about how he has been impressed with Mustapha in training camp. Specifically, Sorensen spoke about how he is physically imposing while at the same time being very mobile.

We saw both of those traits on display with a big stop he made on fourth-down against the Titans near the goal line which you can watch here:

What is so impressive about the play is how far away from the line of scrimmage Mustapha starts. He is at least 5 yards deep in the end zone, and the line of scrimmage is at the 2-yard line. When the running back gets stalled on the line, you see Mustapha make up ground fast and absolutely level the ball carrier short of the first down marker, which was at the 1-yard line.

That mobility and physicality are evident with how quickly he gets to the ball carrier with a head full of steam and brings him down before the line to gain.

It was an incredibly impressive play from the rookie and backs up some of the hype we have heard about him as of late. Plus, with safety Talanoa Hufanga coming back from his ACL tear, that could open the door for a young player like Mustapha to get some action even in the regular season. He will have to compete with veterans like George Odum who may have the upper hand simply because they are more experienced.

Ji'Ayir Brown looks to have the other safety spot shored up, and Hufanga will certainly be a starter when he is fully healthy, but Mustapha can continue to separate himself from the pack if he continues to make great plays like that going forward.

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