Hufanga impressed by young 49ers safeties Brown, Mustapha originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
The 49ers’ safety position is in good hands, even with former Pro Bowler Talanoa Hufanga recovering from a torn ACL.
When speaking to reporters after San Francisco’s mandatory minicamp practice on Wednesday, Hufanga was asked what he saw from then-rookie safety Ji’Ayir Brown last season, when the rookie replaced him after Hufanga tore his anterior cruciate ligament in week 10.
“Oh, amazing. For a guy to come in as a rookie, the light is never too bright for him,” Hufanga said of Brown. “I think what he did in the Super Bowl and what he did before that was incredible.
A year after selecting Brown in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, San Francisco selected Wake Forest safety Malik Mustapha in the fourth round of the 2024 project.
And Hufanga was impressed with what he saw from the rookie throughout the team’s organized activities (OTAs).
“Buddy. This guy says ‘I’m going to lift everyone up,'” Hufanga said of Mustapha. “He’s like a mini Dre [Greenlaw]they just walk around with that presence. [He’s] restless, athletic, smart and a guy who really cares about his business and gets things done.”
Hufanga, who remains in rehabilitation, told reporters that his the goal is to be ready for week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. If so, the 25-year-old will return to his starting role, this time alongside Brown, with Mustapha waiting on the wing for his first opportunity.
