'METCALF LITE'
Malik Mustapha shows off impressive body transformation as San Francisco 49ers rookie reveals bulking training physique
Mustapha has already caught Kyle Shanahan's eye with a highlight-reel play
SAN Francisco 49ers rookie Malik Mustapha has been catching the eye at training camp.
The safety, 22, was selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft out of Wake Forest.
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And judging by the fearsome physique he has been showing off, opposing receivers could be taking some big hits next season.
At 5 foot 10 ins, he is short for his position but he makes up for it in muscle mass and weighs 206lbs.
Fans have been raving about the rookie's giant frame on social media. in response to a viral topless photo.
"Looks like DK Metcalf lite," commented one.
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"Oof that is a massive Safety. Looks more like a LB," added second.
"Damn! Don’t want to get run over by him haha," another posted.
A fourth asked: "Does he even know what a carb looks like?"
Mustapha was expected to be given time to develop by the 49ers before pushing for a starting spot in 2025.
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But Talanoa Hufanga has been placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list after suffering a season-ending ACL injury in November.
That has opened the door for second-year star Ji’Ayir Brown and veteran George Odum to feature as starting safeties.
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And Mustapha is pushing them both hard after a strong start to camp.
Last week, Mustapha made an eye-catching play with a leaping grab to intercept Josh Dobbs' pass that intended for Danny Gray.
“That was awesome,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He showed his range there.”
Defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen is also a fan.
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“You could tell he has been studying, been working on it," he told reporters.
"It's not really like hesitant at all in the communications and being comfortable just in what he is doing back there, how he's communicating.
"You didn't see him do as many things in the post. He had a nice pick out of the post yesterday. He's just got good natural football instincts.
"But what we knew about him is that he cared. He did a lot of things and I think the next thing that's going to show up for him, he is a good tackler.
"He's really physical. That's the stuff you haven't seen so far because the stuff in the offseason it was seeing he's a big dude like he's swole.
"He's like strong, but he's got that mobility. He's got some flexibility and he moves really well too.
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"So to see that he’s got the movement skill to go along, you could see that he cares.
"He is putting the time into it just because how he's communicating out there and moving around."
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