The San Francisco 49ers are enthusiastic about rookie safety Malik Mustapha, who is set to make his second start of the season. His first start came in Week 4 against the New England Patriots, where he earned season-high grades from Pro Football Focus, with a 63.5 mark in overall defense and a 72.2 in run defense, playing every defensive snap in that game.
With Talanoa Hufanga sidelined due to injury, 49ers coaches are eager to see how Mustapha performs in an expanded role. John Lynch, the team's general manager and a Hall of Fame NFL safety, recently compared Mustapha's playing style to that of another NFC West standout, emphasizing the rookie's relentless effort.
"You're going to see him play full speed all the time," Lynch said of Mustapha. "Reminds me a lot of [Cardinals S] Budda Baker, who we saw play, in terms of his just 100 percent effort all the time. There's some things he can clean up in terms of his eyes. I think you only do that through playing. Particularly at that position, there's a lot going on.
"And there's an old saying my old coach, Monte Kiffin, used to [say]—'See a little, see a lot. See a lot, see nothing.' And so, I think just focusing and honing his eyes, and you only do that through the experience of playing."
Selected in the fourth round out of Wake Forest, Mustapha has already recorded 11 tackles and two passes defensed this season. Baker isn't the only star defender to whom Lynch compared Mustapha.
"But he brings a lot to the table," Lynch continued. "He's a very studious guy. He's very Fred Warner-like, one of the first guys in here, one of the last to leave. His body, he's just sculpted because he works all day long. He does everything the right way. He's going to eat the right way. I'm really excited for Malik and the contributions."
The 49ers will be counting on Mustapha, with Hufanga expected to miss at least a month after tearing ligaments in his wrist during Sunday's loss to the Cardinals. It's yet another setback for the All-Pro safety, who had only recently returned from an ACL tear suffered last season.
"Talanoa is a big-time player for us, so that's a big loss," Lynch acknowledged. "Talanoa does so much in terms of the quarterbacking of that back end. But Malik is up for the challenge, and it's nice that we were able to play him some earlier, and so it's not completely new to him. He's going to have to step up in a big way for us."
