Andrew Mukuba shares his gameplan for becoming one of the NFL's top safeties
So, how good is Andrew Mukuba? It is becoming more evident that conversations about the Philadelphia Eagles' safety all lead back to that question. He's a second-round pick, the 64th player taken during the most recent NFL Draft. He's expected to fill the void created by C.J. Gardner-Johnson's departure.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein gave him a grade of 6.20 in his pre-draft profile, meaning he believes Mukuba will eventually become an average starter. 'Average' isn't how many describe his game, though. He may have been taken at the end of Round 2, but some draft pundits gave him late first-round grades.
Some have called him undersized. At six feet tall, he stands an inch taller than Gardner-Johnson and two inches taller than Sydney Brown, but he's 20 pounds lighter than both of them.
He's a former collegiate teammate of both Will Shipley and Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
"You have to be able to do everything – cover in the passing game, support the run, tackle, and you have to know everybody's assignments and where you are supposed to be. It is important to learn the defense, and that is the first priority. You do that, and then your physical ability takes care of itself."
Those were Mukuba's words as he spoke with Eagles insider Dave Spadaro about what is required to be a great NFL safety. That sounds about right. Mukuba has proven his mettle collegiately in both the ACC and SEC. He earned ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, Third-Team All-ACC honors, and Freshman All-American honors in 2021. He was named a Third-Team All-SEC honoree in 2024.
None of that will help him at football's highest level. The good news, however, is that his mindset will. What does he promise that Birds fans will see in his performance? Eagles fans will undoubtedly love his answer:
"There are guys like Budda Baker (Arizona Cardinals) and Brian Branch (Detroit Lions) who are similar in size to me and they have been guys I've kind of patterned myself after. I'm going to be aggressive and smart and play with everything I have, all my heart."
That's a great start!
"I have a lot of energy and always have had energy, and so for me to go out on the field and have fun, it's kind of like being in the park with your friends playing ball and being physical and helping my team win. That's all that matters – helping the Eagles win. I want to do my part, perfect my role, and enjoy everything about being a Philadelphia Eagle."
Forget everything you've heard about his size or his tendency to miss tackles. That's all we had to read. He's going to be fine.
Rarely are players polished when they reach the NFL. Most have something they need to work on. It's no different than Drew Mukuba, but everything seen and heard seems to be a step in the right direction. With his mindset, he will be fine. There's no doubt about it.
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