The San Francisco 49ers just wrapped up an eventful 2025 NFL Draft, making a whopping 11 selections over the three days in hopes of reshaping their roster to return to the playoffs.
Fans have to be happy with the haul, as the 49ers rebuilt the trenches in a big way while adding some potential impact players in the secondary and on offense. Injuries were a major issue for San Francisco last year, and ensuring that the roster has enough depth to sustain losses seems to have been a priority over the last few months.
Unfortunately, however, the 49ers were just dealt brutal injury news in the immediate aftermath of the draft.
49ers S Malik Mustapha Re-Injures ACL Right After NFL Draft
According to Nick Wagoner of ESPN, safety Malik Mustapha is expected to be out until around midseason after re-injuring his ACL that required surgery. Mustapha was injured during the 49ers' season finale against the Arizona Cardinals, though there was hope he might be able to return near the start of the 2025 campaign.
Such hope is obviously derailed now, and the 2024 fourth-round selection faces a lengthy rehab process on top of what he's already done. He started 12 games for the 49ers last year, compiling 72 tackles and five deflected passes while surrendering just a 44.5 passer rating when targeted in coverage. Pro Football Focus graded him 84th out of 171 qualified safeties as a result.
It was expected that Mustapha would step into a starting role once again, though now Jaylen Mahoney and Jason Pinnock will presumably compete for it. For a team that dealt with so many injuries in 2024, this is a big blow before offseason training even really gets underway.
San Francisco still has plenty of playmakers on defense and can withstand Mustapha's absence. Even still, you never want to hear about an injury to a starter, and here's hoping Mustapha can get back on the field healthy as quickly as possible.