2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Malik Mustapha (DB – Wake Forest)

FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL Draft scouting reports before the Combine in March. Here’s a look at Wake Forest defensive back Malik Mustapha.

2024 NFL Draft Guide

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Malik Mustapha

Malik Mustapha (DB – Wake Forest)

5’11” – 207 lbs.

Background:

Charlotte native who originally attended Richmond, rotating in a little bit in 2020 before transferring to Wake Forest. Posted 37 tackles, two interceptions and two breakups in his first year despite playing fewer than 300 snaps. Started all 10 games he appeared in the following year, finishing with 58-8.0-3.5 and three breakups. Role expanded further this year, with 80 tackles, one interception and two breakups.

Positives:

Team captain with escalating output and two years of starting experience. Compactly-built safety who lines up all over the defense, but is primarily a box safety who took about half of his snaps there with the rest split relatively evenly between the slot and a high safety role. Was trusted to run some single-high. Shows quick feet and a clean backpedal when working in high zones. Loose hips and clean transitions from his backpedal to drive on a spot. Pretty good range to support throws down the sidelines from single-high. Shows some patience when diagnosing route combinations from zone. Closing burst is solid. Willing run supporter with a quick trigger; flies up to deliver hits and make tackles in the run game. Generates some pop on contact. Shows some ability to dip the shoulder and use rip moves as a pass-rusher.

Negatives:

Can be frozen by play-action. Would like to see a bit more patience and discipline in his run fits; occasionally gets sucked into the middle of the field and gives up the corner. May struggle to cover quicker receivers in man coverage, and probably isn’t big enough to match up against most tight ends. Doesn’t have a ton of on-ball production, and lack of ideal length might prevent him from making too many plays on throws at the next level. Made some strides this year but hasn’t been a very efficient tackler overall. Radius limited by his lack of ideal length.

Summary:

A pretty well-rounded defensive back who was asked to do a little bit of everything in school and offers a thick frame, a relatively patient style of play, good physicality, and some pretty fluid movement in coverage. While he’s not the biggest or fastest defensive back available, looks like a pretty safe bet to work his way into a pro defense, likely as a box safety or nickel defender who offers some schematic versatility. Lack of elite tools could push him into the mid-rounds, but doesn’t have any major flaws to his game and looks like a pretty consistent sub-package defender with a bit of upside.

Projection: Round 4-5