49ers DC Nick Sorensen raves over two emerging defensive backs

Jul 25, 2024, 4:02 PM | Updated: Jul 26, 2024, 8:07 am

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 05: Nick Sorensen defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers speaks to the media during a press conference at mini camp on June 05, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

BY AMILIANO FRAGOSO

San Francisco 49ers Beat Writer

The San Francisco 49ers have a bounty of riches on the defensive side of the football. But after two days of training camp, two young defensive backs have caught the eye of Nick Sorensen.

The 49ers’ new defensive coordinator is over the moon about his defense after the first 48 hours of training camp. In fact, he raved especially about his secondary, particularly rookie safety Malik Mustapha and second-year cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. Both men have performed admirably to open the 2024 season, snagging interceptions in the process.

Sorensen first discussed the play of Mustapha, a hard-nosed safety built like a greek god. But underneath the physique is an intelligent player, one that has already adapted to the NFL quite nicely. And while it’s only training camp, his coach sees the potential that made the 49ers select him this past April.

“You could tell he has been studying, been working on it,” Nick Sorensen said about Mustapha Thursday. “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.”

The interception Sorensen alludes to occurred on Day 1, when Mustapha perfectly timed an underthrown deep ball from quarterback Joshua Dobbs. The Wake Forest alum almost snagged bis second pick of July the following day, breaking up a tight-window throw from QB Brandon Allen.

Despite the outcome of the latter, Mustapha’s play has resonated with his coaches, so much so that he’s gotten snaps with the first-stringers during the early portions of camp. Again, it’s early, but the rookie’s ability to play with athleticism and poise excites Nick Sorensen to say the least.

“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,” the coordinator added. “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. 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.”

“He’s just got good natural football instincts.”

Nick Sorensen likes what he sees from Malik Mustapha so far 👏 pic.twitter.com/SDQXd3Acx4

— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) July 25, 2024

Another defensive standout has been Darrell Luter Jr., the 49ers’ fifth-rouind pick of a year ago.

Luter struggled with injuries his rookie season, shelved until midway through the regular season with lower-body issues. Going behind the eight ball early, the fifth-rounder only saw 64 snaps in 2023. But now with a full year of the NFL lifestyle under his belt, the Mississippi product is looking to blossom in 2024.

And the results so far have been extremely encouraging for Nick Sorensen and the 49ers.

“It’s big because with him it was the injury and then he missed a lot of time and it was like catching up. So here it’s just the progress,” Sorensen explained about Luter. “He’s got great size, length and the pick he had today was awesome. He just went up and grabbed it. He snatched it. He high-pointed it, took it. And the progress with him is using the size and length that he’s got and he’s been doing that.”

We have our second pick of 2024 #49ersCamp.

Darrell Luter snagged a deep shot from Dobbs to Jennings that was under thrown.

Both INTs so far have come from Dobbs.

— Amiliano “Amil” Fragoso (@AmilianoFragoso) July 25, 2024