It's doubtful that anybody inside the San Francisco 49ers organization is worrying much anymore about the trade compensation they got for Trey Lance.
The 49ers deemed Lance, their third overall pick in 2021, a sunk cost during last year's preseason. San Francisco dealt a man they traded three first-round picks to acquire to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick.
But, John Lynch and co. made the most of the situation by drafting Wake Forest safety Malik Mustapha with what ended up becoming a fourth-round selection, the 124th pick, in the 2024 NFL Draft.
It's a great pick for the 49ers, as Mustapha had several Round 3 grades on him heading into the draft.
Overall, Mustapha doesn’t have the tape of an instinctive ballhawk, but he is a passionate competitor with outstanding range versus the run and disciplined movements in coverage. With a skill set similar to Jordan Whitehead, he should shine on special-teams coverages in the NFL and will push for defensive snaps early in his career. - Dane Brugler, The Athletic
And it's a selection that gives the 49ers insurance at a position where they lack depth behind starting safeties Talanoa Hufanga and Ji'Ayir Brown. Hufanga is coming off a torn ACL that he suffered in Week 11, so the 49ers clearly needed additional options at the position in case he is not ready to play Week 1. With Hufanga also set for free agency next offseason, Mustapha could be his successor.
One of the best tackling safeties in the draft, Mustapha had 80 to his name last season. That will have been of huge appeal to a 49ers team that struggled against the run down the stretch and had continued issues on special teams last season. Given that the new kickoff rules will place more emphasis on tackling in kick coverage, Mustapha could prove his worth immediately in that facet of the game.
Ultimately, the Niners should feel pretty good when it comes to what they received in return for Lance. Especially when considering what the Chicago Bears received for Justin Fields, who went eight picks after Lance in the same draft.
Fields, despite starting 38 games to Lance's four and putting together a strong stretch of play to end the 2023 season for the Bears, was dealt to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2025 sixth-round pick that turns into a fourth-rounder if Fields plays 51% of the Steelers' offensive snaps in 2024.
Chicago had to settle for such a low return likely in large part because of the lack of clear alternative trade partners around the NFL. With the starting quarterback roles not set to be taken by rookies already filled, the Bears were left extremely short of options.
Ultimately Fields cost the Bears two first-rounders to Lance's three and even though the former started nearly 10 times the amount of games as the latter (not to mention the fact that Dak Prescott will be the Cowboys' starter for the remainder of Lance's rookie deal), the Bears are going to have to wait until 2025 before they reap any kind of reward.
Whereas, the 9ers get the benefit, now, and during the 2024 season. And, there's an excellent chance that Mustapha sees a good amount of playing time and opportunities to make some big plays.
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