San Francisco 49ers rookie announces himself to the NFL with highlight reel play in preseason opener

Malik Mustapha was seen by many as a steal for the San Francisco 49ers when he was selected in the fourth round of this year's draft.

In his debut for the 49ers in the preseason on Saturday, he took his first steps towards vindicating that assessment by producing the first of what he hopes will be many highlight reel plays.

The former Wake Forest safety was renowned in college for his ability to make plays at all three levels .

And he flashed his prowess for knifing into the backfield as the 49ers made a red zone stop in their preseason opener at the Tennessee Titans.

With the Titans knocking on the door to increase a 14-7 lead with 4th and 1 from San Francisco's two-yard line in the second quarter, Mustapha did an excellent job of filling the gap from depth by getting downhill in a hurry before deliver a crushing hit on running back Hassan Haskins and prevent Tennessee from moving the chains.

With Talanoa Hufanga hoping to return from knee surgery in time for Week 1 to partner Ji'Ayir Brown at safety, opportunities for Mustapha to make plays like this in the regular season may be limited in year one.

But with the athletic gifts and the instincts he possesses, Mustapha's stop may be a sign of what is to come if and when he does earn a defined role on the San Francisco defense.

Related: 49ers vs. Titans first-half observations: Rookie takes significant step towards winning starting job