Latest news with #MalikMustapha
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Big changes may be coming to the back end of the 49ers secondary with camp battles looming
There were a couple of curveballs thrown at the San Francisco 49ers' depth chart at safety this offseason. The result of a free agency exit, a couple of injuries and a lackluster showing by one starter last season creates the potential for two new starting safeties for the 49ers at least to open the 2025 season. With training camp slated to start Thursday, let's take a look at what camp battles are brewing for San Francisco in the back end of their secondary: Who were the 49ers starting safeties last year? Ji'Ayir Brown was the only mainstay at the position for San Francisco last season. He lined up alongside veteran George Odum to start the year, but Talanoa Hufanga returned in Week 2 from an ACL tear before going down again three weeks later with a wrist injury. That opened the door for rookie Malik Mustapha to step in and line up as a starter alongside Brown. Did the 49ers lose any key safeties? Speaking of Hufanga, he left in free agency to sign a three-year, $45 million contract with the Denver Broncos. The club also released Odum the Sunday before training camp began after placing him on the Non-Football Injury list with an elbow injury. Do the 49ers have any injuries at safety? One interesting bit of news that came out of San Francisco over the offseason was that Mustapha underwent surgery to fix a damaged ACL repair he sustained in the season finale against the Arizona Cardinals. His exact timeline for a return is unclear, but an initial report from ESPN's Nick Wagoner indicated the 49ers could be without their hard-hitting second-year safety until the middle of the year. Who are San Francisco's starting safeties? This will be one of the biggest questions the 49ers have to answer in camp. Given their injury situation, Brown is likely to snag a starting job again. Our best guess at this point is that Jason Pinnock would grab the other starting spot, but that's only because he has a little experience with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh after the New York Jets drafted Pinnock in the fifth round in 2021 − Saleh's first season as the Jets' head coach. Veteran Richie Grant and rookie fifth-round pick Marquis Sigle should also be in the running for a starting job. If one or both of them performs well enough, they could overtake Brown who struggled in his stint as a full-time starter last season. Which safeties are frontrunners for roster spots? Our best guess is four safeties stay on the 53-man roster: Brown, Pinnock, Grant and Sigle. Mustapha started camp on the PUP list, and we're projecting that he begins the regular season there. Which safeties are on the 49ers' roster bubble? Pinnock and Grant are both on the roster bubble until one or both of them start carving out a meaningful role in the secondary or on special teams. The only other safety on the roster is second-year undrafted rookie Jaylen Mahoney. He flashed in the preseason last year and spent most of the season on San Francisco's practice squad. He did make his way onto the active roster for three games where he contributed three tackles on 30 special teams snaps. If the 49ers safety room isn't what we predicted, it's because Mahoney forced the issue and won a job over Grant or article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers training camp battles: Injury heightens intensity at safety
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Watch 49ers safety Malik Mustapha's impressive post-ACL recovery workout
Watch 49ers safety Malik Mustapha's impressive post-ACL recovery workout originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area The 49ers aim to be as healthy as possible during the 2025 NFL season, especially after crawling to an NFC West-worst 6-11 finish in their last campaign, largely due to overwhelming injuries. Advertisement That sentiment makes any updates on San Francisco safety Malik Mustapha's recovery from his right ACL tear loom even larger. Fortunately for the 49ers and their faithful, the 22-year-old appears to be ahead of schedule – or at least on a hopeful trajectory – based on a video he posted on Friday to Instagram. Mustapha appears to be confidently running and lifting weights, which is all San Francisco could ask for, considering it was Jan. 5 when he tore his right ACL in the 2024 regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals. When news broke of Mustapha's injury after the 2025 NFL Draft, most expected the safety to be a shoo-in for the league's Physically Unable to Perform List, which would prevent him from playing in San Francisco's first four regular-season games. The recent video might suggest that maybe Mustapha could return sooner rather than later during his second 49ers campaign. Advertisement San Francisco sure hopes that is the case. Mustapha played a vital role as a rookie in Nick Sorensen's 49ers defense and is primed to make an even bigger impact, when healthy, under new defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Over 12 starts in 2024, Mustapha recorded 72 tackles, five passes defensed and one interception. Mustapha should return to the 49ers timely and justly, given his work ethic and resilience. And the video he posted only strengthens that agenda. Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
49ers' New Defensive Acquisition Could Make Starting Lineup for Week 1
49ers' New Defensive Acquisition Could Make Starting Lineup for Week 1 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The San Francisco 49ers have had to part ways with a few defensive backs over the last few months, namely cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Talanoa Hufanga. As a result, the team could use someone to step up in a big way in 2025. Advertisement And that someone could be one of their new players that they signed this offseason. Because of the injury to safety Malik Mustapha, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports that the 49ers will likely be starting former New York Giant Jason Pinnock in the free safety spot to start the year against the Seattle Seahawks. "Pinnock, of course, also knows Saleh's and Boyer's systems, making him a quick study this spring," Barrows wrote. "Because of that, he's a frontrunner to start — perhaps next to (Ji'Ayir) Brown — in Week 1." Pinnock is perhaps best known for getting an interception in the end zone and taking it 102 yards back to the house in Week 5 of the 2023 season against the Miami Dolphins. But he took on a different role in 2024 with the Giants. Advertisement He finished this past season with a solid 85 tackles and four tackles for loss, as he was used more as a strong safety. The Niners will likely put him at free safety, which he showed he could do in 2023 with a pair of interceptions and six pass deflections. San Francisco is coming off of a very disappointing 6-11 season, so Pinnock will be looking to help the team bounce back and make it back to the playoffs in 2025. Related: 49ers Urged To Help 'Thin' Pass Rush With Unprecedented Trade For Shemar Stewart Related: Analyst Anticipates 49ers Return to Postseason This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
49ers' Tariq Ahmad goes deep on Nick Martin, CJ West and the entire draft class
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — How do the San Francisco 49ers' 11 draft picks fit into their roster puzzle? I sat down Wednesday with Tariq Ahmad, the team's director of player personnel and college scouting guru, to discuss a class that was heavy on numbers, heavy on defense and just plain heavy. 'We definitely got bigger, stronger on the D-line,' he said. Advertisement Heading into the draft, Ahmad said the 49ers knew they'd stock up on defensive linemen and that they'd come away with at least one good running back considering the draft was teeming with talent at those positions. And it was deep overall. 'We were excited to have three picks in the seventh round,' he said. 'We wish we had a few more. There were some other guys that we liked.' Here's what he had to say about the team's selections: A year ago, the 49ers' scouting combine interview with safety Malik Mustapha was one of their most memorable of the draft process. 'Mature, extremely bright, confident,' Ahmad said last year of Mustapha, who'd go on to start 12 games. 'He left a very positive impression.' He said two interviews stood out in this year's cycle. The first was Williams'. 'It matched up with everything the school told us — the intensity, passion,' Ahmad said. 'He made a great initial impression.' Williams played virtually all of his final season at Georgia with a Grade 2 high ankle sprain, and John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan said on draft night that they were impressed by the 20-year-old's grit. It turns out Williams did more than play through the injury on Saturdays. When national scout Steve Rubio went to Georgia for a practice, he noted that Williams not only took every practice repetition on the bad ankle but practiced for another 20 minutes after the formal session ended. 'That was a story that stood out to us,' Ahmad said. The 49ers were sold on Williams early on and did their best to hide their affection for him. Because he was still recovering from the ankle injury during the offseason, Williams worked out for scouts late in the process — a week before the draft. 'I really wanted to go back for Mykel's workout,' Ahmad said with a smile. 'I was itching to go back, but John thought it was a better idea to just watch the tape.' Texas was a frequent stop for 49ers' evaluators in recent years and because of that they ended up with a number of reports on Collins — 19 to be exact. All of them noted how fast someone his size — 6-6, 332 pounds — reached ball carriers. 'Alfred can get off blocks and cover a short area very quickly,' Ahmad said. Advertisement The 49ers also had some inside information. Ahmad spent seven seasons at Rutgers University with assistant coach Kyle Flood, who's now Texas' offensive line coach. 'One of the things he kept telling me about Alfred was that Alfred destroys practice,' Ahmad said. 'He's the hardest guy that they had to block on the interior of the defensive line — getting off blocks, creating knockbacks.' Texas often asked Collins to handle two gaps on their defensive line. The 49ers want their linemen attacking and playing aggressively. When he picks up their style, the 49ers think his modest college pass-rush numbers — just one sack last season — will increase. 'He doesn't attack like we attack,' Ahmad said. 'But because of his length and his power we feel we can get that out of him.' The other player who dazzled in his combine interview was Martin. Ahmad noted that both linebackers coach Johnny Holland and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, a former linebackers coach, fell in love with Martin during the draft process. 'He definitely was one of our consensus guys,' he said. 'We had him at that combine interview and everyone was extremely excited about him. He was a guy we were targeting.' Ahmad said the 49ers wanted someone with the communication skills to call defensive plays should Fred Warner ever have to come out of a game. Martin did that at Oklahoma State. And they were looking for a defender who could lead a group of rookie defenders the team might have to lean on — heavily — this season. Martin was a two-time team captain in college. 'It's important when we're considering how the rookies are going to mesh together,' Ahmad said. 'Who's going to be the leader of that group? Who's going to push guys to watch extra tape, to be on the field extra?' Advertisement The 49ers hope Martin can fill the weakside role Dre Greenlaw played so well in recent seasons. 'Body structure-wise, they're a little different,' Ahmad said. 'But the aggressiveness, physicality, play speed, the passion? There's a lot of ways to compare those two guys. Everyone's different, but we're hoping.' The 49ers hosted Stout on an official visit and noted that his personality mirrors the way he plays. 'The thing that stands out most when you watch Upton's tape is his demeanor and his aggressiveness,' Ahmad said. 'He plays like he loves football. He plays in run support like he loves — loves — getting to the ball. It's exactly the passion, the mentality we're looking for.' Ahmad said something similar about second-round cornerback Renardo Green a year ago — that tackling and run support were his favorite parts of the game. 'That's who we want to be on defense,' he said Wednesday. 'We want guys who play fast and process quickly and then have the mentality of being aggressive. We want people who strain to get to the ball. Similar to Malik, who constantly is straining to get to the ball.' At 5-8 1/2 inches, Stout was one of the shortest defenders in the draft. But Ahmad said he doesn't think of him as small. He noted that Stout's 74 1/2-inch wingspan is average for a nickel cornerback and that he's thickly built, moreso than former 49ers nickel back K'Waun Williams, to whom Stout's been compared. Stout also has an outsized personality, which the 49ers experienced during his visit. 'We absolutely loved his passion,' Ahmad said. 'Every time he walked into the room, he lit the room up. It's similar to the way he plays.' When the 49ers hired defensive line coach Kris Kocurek in 2019, Ahmad was the scout who cross-checked the draft's defensive linemen. Which meant the two worked together a lot, and they became close as a result. Advertisement It also means Ahmad knows that Kocurek pines for quick, powerful defensive linemen. That's West, whose 1.73-second 10-yard split at the combine — at 316 pounds — was one of the fastest at his position. Ahmad noted that West didn't use the get-off technique the 49ers prefer but that the raw ability is obvious. 'He's someone we think still has a lot of untapped upside,' he said. 'He's someone we're going to have to teach how to get off the ball the way we get off the ball. He is a powerful, heavy guy. He's got twitch, he's got short area movement, he's got instincts.' West also was one of the best defensive players at the East-West Shrine Bowl all-star game. 'We really felt his size and his quickness while he was there,' Ahmad said. 'And he was a great interview.' Ahmad said he thought Watkins looked as good as any receiver at the combine, especially in the gauntlet drill. That's the one in which the player is asked to run in a straight line from one sideline to the next while quarterbacks fire them passes from both directions. The 49ers look for receivers who do it smoothly, who don't stray from their line and who can complete it quickly. 'We think it's one of the best measures of natural hands,' Ahmad said. 'Can they stay in a straight line and naturally pluck the ball and react and do it again?' Watkins reached 19.78 mph during the drill, the second fastest speed among the receivers. And his Pro Football Focus numbers support the good-hands assessment. He had six drops over his college career, according to the site. For comparison, the first receiver taken in the draft, Tetairoa McMillan, had seven drops last season. Perfect Gauntlet #FTTB #49ers WR Jordan Watkins after running a 4.37 💨 — WayneBreezie (@thewaynebreezie) April 29, 2025 Ahmad said the scouting staff left the combine impressed with Watkins and that the more the coaching staff became involved, the higher he climbed on the team's draft board. Watkins also has many of the traits — loose in his lower body, strong change-of-direction skills, fluidity — Shanahan, who is hard to impress when it comes to receivers, covets. Advertisement 'Kyle was a big fan,' Ahmad said. 'He was a very big fan of his.' The 49ers had a big contingent — including Lynch and Ahmad — at Oregon's pro day where James stood out. 'We were standing right behind him and we thought he had an excellent workout,' Ahmad said. Whereas the tailback they drafted last year, Isaac Guerendo, was prominent for his speed, James' top traits are his strength and acceleration. More than half of his 2,215 rushing yards in college came after contact. Ahmad said the 49ers drafted James thinking he'd be a nice complement to Guerendo. 'We spent a lot of time on running backs this year,' he said. 'It was a very deep group and there was definitely an opportunity for us to get someone anywhere, from the first round through the seventh round. And I think we walked away with two (including undrafted Corey Kiner) that can help us.' Ahmad said the 49ers had a draftable grade on Kiner (but would not reveal what that grade was). Sigle, who ran his 40 in 4.37 seconds, is the fastest safety the 49ers have drafted since they took Tarvarius Moore (4.32 seconds) in the third round in 2018. Whereas Moore had trouble with tackling angles as a safety, that hasn't been a problem for Sigle. 'I love the way he closes and is able to erase mistakes because of that speed,' Ahmad said. 'And I loved the physicality with which he played. He got to the ball consistently at a very high rate.' Sigle started out as a cornerback at North Dakota State and played a lot in the slot after transferring to Kansas State. Ahmad noted that some of Sigle's deep safety skills might have to be 'developed' by the 49ers but that the raw ability is in place. Moore was a dime defender at times for the 49ers and Sigle could play there, too. Advertisement 'That would be natural for him,' Ahmad said. 'But I'm not sure we've gotten to that yet.' Rourke attempted 1,283 passes at Ohio and Indiana, which was almost as many as Brock Purdy (1,467) had in college and, of course, far more than Trey Lance (318) had when entering the NFL. 'It's something we value,' Ahmad said. 'We value meaningful reps, game reps at all positions and especially at that position. And (Rourke) not only had the reps, he played the position at a high level.' Ahmad said Rourke stood out in processing speed, decision-making (29-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio last season at Indiana) and accuracy. He also was a favorite of new quarterbacks coach Mick Lombardi. 'He just attacks the tape,' Ahmad said of Lombardi. 'He had his list done a month before we were gonna review quarterbacks. So we were talking about all these guys for a month and Kurtis was someone that he really, really liked — toward the top of his stack.' Offensive line coach Chris Foerster might be even harder to please when it comes to his position group than Shanahan is with receivers. 'Chris is an extremely realistic grader,' Ahmad said. 'He's excellent at the evaluation of not only the talent and the product they put on the film but also the mentality. And (Colby) was one of the guys he believes in.' Colby largely played right guard at Iowa, which made for an easier elevation than most linemen because the Hawkeyes' and 49ers' run games are so similar. Ahmad noted that because Iowa players run such a comparable system, the 49ers have to guard against over-rating them. 'It's a little tricky,' he said. 'They're also doing what we want them to do, so there could be a tendency for us to like them more.' That said, the team thinks Colby will be a good fit. 'I thought he was really strong in the run game,' Ahmad said. 'I really like his lower body — his bend, his lower-body power.' The 49ers couldn't say no to Bergen when it came to their final pick. Or rather, they couldn't say no to their special teams coaches. The son of coordinator Brant Boyer is the kicker at Montana while Boyer's top assistant, Colt Anderson, played safety for the Grizzlies from 2004 to 2008. That is, the duo had inside connections and did a lot of research on Bergen, who scored eight punt-return touchdowns in college and averaged nearly 17 yards per return. Advertisement 'When he was there with our last pick and the special teams coaches are standing on the table emphatically for him, it makes it easier to draft him,' Ahmad said. Bergen's return skills are more impressive than his receiving skills, and if he makes the 2025 roster it will likely be as the primary punt returner. 'It's a combination of instincts and fearlessness,' Ahmad said. 'I think these great punt returners can see it and react to it and run through it all full speed. They have the vision to set things up and then they can get downhill.' (Top photo of Nick Martin: D. Ross Cameron / Imagn Images)
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
49ers key roster flaw exposed in PFF list of top 25 players under 25
49ers key roster flaw exposed in PFF list of top 25 players under 25 The San Francisco 49ers' roster has a significant flaw when it comes to the club's long-term Super Bowl hopes. That flaw is exposed in Pro Football Focus's list of the top 25 NFL players under the age of 25. There are no 49ers on the list. Perhaps the worst part is there aren't any players on the 49ers' roster really worthy of consideration as of the 2025 offseason. Only two players would even qualify under PFF's parameters. To meet the criteria, the player must be under 25 when Week 1 kicks off. That leaves for the 49ers linebacker Dee Winters and safety Malik Mustapha. Winters has yet to prove himself as a regular NFL player and Mustapha had a nice rookie year, but he's not in the realm of Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph, who was an All-Pro last season and ranked 25th on PFF's list. For the 49ers the hope is that the 2025 NFL draft class will come with a handful of contenders for a future version of this list. First-round pick Mykel Williams has the potential to make that jump. So does linebacker Nick Martin and safety Marquise Sigle. If San Francisco is going to remain in the contender conversation into 2025 and beyond, they'll need some of the youth they brought in this offseason to quickly elevate into the realm of future NFL star. If they don't, the 49ers could have some long-term issues returning to the Super Bowl. More 49ers: Brock Purdy disrespected in latest 2025 NFL quarterback rankings
