Defense. Again.
With their 2nd-round pick, the Eagles on Friday night continued to replenish the defense in the wake of their mass offseason departures, selecting Texas safety Andrew Mukuba at No. 64 overall.
He’s the first safety they’ve taken in the first two rounds since Nate Allen with the 37th pick in the second round in 2010.
Mukuba, 6-foot-0, 185 pounds, spent three years at Clemson, where he played alongside Jeremiah Trotter Jr., before coming into his own this past year at Texas. He had five interceptions – 4th-most in the BCS and most in the SEC – as well as seven pass deflections, 69 tackles and four tackles for loss.
“I was just put in better situations to showcase what I could really do,” he said at the Combine of his year in Austin according to a transcript on Draft Network. “I got back to playing that true safety position. I was able to read and react, to rely on my instincts. It helped me make plays on the ball.”
Mukuba only had one interception in 35 games at Clemson before picking off five passes in 15 games at Texas. He said that had to do with the way he was used in the Clemson defense.
“That was mostly scheme related,” he said. “I spent the majority of my reps playing the nickel spot (at Clemson). I was in the slot playing man coverage. I feel like I was one of the best defenders playing the nickel at that time. It gave me less opportunities to make plays on the ball though.
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“At Texas, I was playing in the deep part of the field. I was diagnosing how offenses were trying to attack us. There were a lot of ways for me to float around, find the ball and be effective. I made plays.”
With this pick, 10 of Roseman’s last 12 selections in the first three rounds have been defensive players – Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean in 2022, Nolan Smith, Jalen Carter and Sydney Brown in 2023, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean and Jalyx Hunt last year and then Jihaad Campbell and Mukuba so far this year.
The only offensive players Roseman drafted in the first three rounds during this four-year span are interior offensive linemen Cam Jurgens and Tyler Steen.
With C.J. Gardner-Johnson shipped to Houston along with his 12 interceptions in just 28 games in two seasons here, the need for playmaking at safety is huge.
Mukuba enters a safety room with one known quantity – starter Reed Blankenship. After that, there are guys like Sydney Brown, one-time 1st-round pick Lewis Cine and Tristin McCollum. So the opportunity for playing time and possibly a starting spot is very real.
Mukuba, who had a formal visit with the Eagles at the Combine, loves mixing it up against the run as well as patrolling the secondary.
“That’s just my mindset, how I go about the game and how I play the position,” he said. “You have to be fearless out there. Every opportunity I get to hit somebody, I try to do it as hard as I can. I play the game without fear. That’s what it is with me. I don’t play with fear. I fly around and have fun. I hit people.”
Roseman is on quite a roll picking in the second round. With Miles Sanders, Jalen Hurts, Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens from 2019 through 2022, he became the first general manager in NFL history to draft Pro Bowl players in the second round four straight years.
The Eagles didn’t have a 2nd-round pick in 2023, but last year’s 2nd-rounder – Super Bowl hero Cooper DeJean – is certainly trending in that Pro Bowl direction. He finished fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting last year.
Mukuba, who’s 22, was asked what the team that drafts him will be getting.
“You’re going to get a consistent player on a daily basis,” he said. “I’m going to be productive and impactful. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help the defense and special teams.
“You’re getting a guy who wants to be an immediate contributor. You’re getting a humble teammate. I want to help the team win games. I’m willing to work.”
Makuba was the fifth Texas Longhorn drafted this year following offensive tackle Kelvin Banks (9thoverall), corner Jahdae Barron (20th) and wide receiver Matthew Golden (23rd) in the first round and defensive tackle Alfred Collins (43rd) in the second round.
“What a great addition to our program Andrew was,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “Not just as a player, but as a leader, a teammate and a tremendous example of hard work and dedication. He just puts his head down, gives it all he’s got all of the time and is an incredible teammate.
“He was a really good football player for us this year who helped us win a lot of games, made big plays and always stepped up when he was needed. Andrew is very versatile, played well in the run game, is excellent in pass defense and has some position flexibility.
“I think the Eagles will see his practice habits, his preparation, and the things that lead to positive performances on game day will really make him a great pro. Those are characteristics he had that will serve him well in the NFL.”
