Malik Mustapha NFL Draft Overview
Position: Safety
School: Wake Forest
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 209 pounds
Arm: 30 1/8″
Hand: 9″
40-yard dash: 4.54 seconds
2024 NFL Draft: Malik Mustapha Scouting Report
Malik Mustapha enters the 2024 NFL Draft after a productive career at Wake Forest. During his three years with the Demon Deacons, Mustapha was a two-year starter and a second-team All-ACC selection in his senior season. With experience playing multiple positions, Mustapha did his best work in run support. He racked up 175 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 3,5 sacks at Wake Forest. Mustapha added three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and seven pass breakups as well.
One of Mustapha’s biggest selling points as he enters the NFL is his versatility. In both 2022 and 2023, Mustapha played about half of his total snaps as a box safety. That alignment allows Mustapha to do his best work which is getting involved in run support. The remaining half of his snaps each year were split relatively-evenly between slot cornerback and deep safety. So, while he was strongest against the run, the Wake Forest coaching staff had confidence in Mustapha in pass coverage, too.
Strengths
- Good athlete with the quickness to get downhill in a hurry;
- Very productive against the run, has the physicality to hang in the box in the NFL;
- Showcased good timing when contesting catches;
- Will immediately be ready to be a key special teams contributor;
- Has the versatility to play multiple positions in the secondary.
Weaknesses
- Will struggle in man coverage in the NFL;
- Doesn’t contain outside runs as well as he blows up inside runs;
- Instincts in coverage aren’t great, finds himself a step behind too often;
- Lack of height and length will prove challenging when covering bigger receivers or tight ends;
- Needs to cut back on missed tackles.
NFL Comparison: Jartavius Martin
Teams With Need At Position: Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons
Projection: Late Day 2 or Early Day 3
Bottom Line on Malik Mustapha
Though he is officially labeled a safety, Malik Mustapha projects as more of a dime type of linebacker in the NFL. He was serviceable in pass coverage in college but will struggle early in his NFL career in that regard. Mustapha is best suited to play in the box and get involved in run support. He is a strong athlete with good physicality who is not afraid to do the dirty work against the run. From a box alignment, he is dependable enough in coverage to matchup with some tight ends or running backs coming out of the backfield.
Mustapha has the potential to be a four-phase special teams player right away as a rookie. His quickness and physicality will serve him well in that regard. Defensively, he would fit on a team that likes to play a lot of single-high safety defense. While Mustapha played some deep safety in college, he is not reliable enough to consistently be playing deep in a two-high safety package. He has the tools to develop in coverage, but early on he will do his best work against the run and covering tight ends and running backs.
More must-reads: