Malik Mustapha's versatility can help San Francisco 49ers handle potential Dre Greenlaw absence

While the San Francisco 49ers have made a plethora of additions over the course of free agency and the draft, they still have a few roster issues, one of which has been obvious since the Super Bowl.

Dre Greenlaw's bizarre Achilles tear left the 49ers with a hole at linebacker and, though he is hopeful of being ready to return for Week 1 of the 2024 season, the 49ers are less optimistic, with general manager John Lynch indicating there is a chance Greenlaw will start the year on the PUP list.

Having seen Eric Kendricks go back on his initial agreement to sign with the team, the 49ers signed 2021 All-Pro De'Vondre Campbell to help fill that potential void. While Campbell is adamant his decline over recent seasons was a symptom of problems with the Green Bay Packers' coaching, the 49ers may want to have another string to their bow to cope with Greenlaw's absence on passing downs, and they may need to get creative to add it.

That is where fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha could come in.

Mustapha's selection on day three has been widely praised as one of the steals of the draft, with the former Wake Forest safety described as the best tackler at the position in the draft.

Despite those plaudits, Mustapha is unlikely to feature as a starter as a rookie, with last year's third-round pick Ji'Ayir Brown set to start alongside 2022 All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga, who is coming off a torn ACL.

But Mustafa's versatility could help the 49ers deal with their issue at linebacker.

San Francisco did not play a single defensive snap last season with six defensive backs on the field, but deploying three safeties could be a consideration if Greenlaw is forced to miss time by starting the season on PUP.

What may encourage the 49ers to use more three-safety looks is the varied role Mustapha played during his college career, which he described in detail during his initial post-draft media session with local reporters.

Asked about a hybrid role he played on third down, Mustapha replied:

“Yeah, so we called that the Panther package. Going into the game, there were different tasks, depending on the different teams. So, it was either I had to spy the quarterback or, sometimes I would be with the defensive front, running stunts. They always had a key factored on me offensively when identifying me. So, there were a lot of spots I was put in. Being at the linebacker depth, and then disguising, where I would have to burst to play single high coverage, and even an extra nickel spot. There were a lot of hats that I wore during that third down package. Just speaking to my versatility and being able to, like I said, impact on different levels of the football. So, it was a game plan adjustment for sure, but it was something that I took pride in.”

Simply put, Mustapha is very experienced and comfortable operating at linebacker depth and performing a variety of roles from that alignment, including dropping into coverage. 

The 49ers wouldn't have signed Campbell if they did not have confidence in him to fill the void at WILL linebacker in Greenlaw's absence. Still, Mustapha gives them the option to at least occasionally go to three-safety looks and get a more explosive athlete on the field who has played a substantial amount of football, albeit at a lower level, essentially operating as a de facto linebacker.

Mustapha succeeding while, in essence, playing as a linebacker would hinge on them quickly acclimating to the defense and rapidly building an understanding with the likes of Warner, Hufanga and Brown.

Yet all the signs from his college career point to Mustapha being up for the task. The 49ers aren't in an ideal spot at linebacker going into 2024, but Mustapha's positional flexibility could prove key in them navigating a potentially tricky situation without Greenlaw.