In the second round of the NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles bolstered their defense with the addition of Andrew Mukuba. After a stellar career at Texas, the talented safety was a popular prospect heading into the draft. While the Eagles struggled in their loss to the Browns on Saturday, the 22-year-old was one of the few bright spots.
The Texas native recorded his first pick-six of the preseason and recovered one fumble. Whenever the Eagles got a turnover, Mukuba was seemingly in the middle of it. His ability to capitalize on other teams' mistakes is part of what made one of the newest Eagles one of the top safeties in his class.
After transferring to Texas from Clemson, Mukuba was a human highlight reel. In 15 games, he recorded 69 total tackles and 11 pass deflections. He also added five interceptions to his resume while making life difficult for offensive coordinators. As Texas fell two wins short of a title, Mukuba was key to their success.
While rosters have yet to be finalized, Mukuba is expected to play an important role for an Eagles team with high expectations. He hinted on a Saturday that his performance this weekend is just a taste of wats to come during his rookie campaign.
"That's my first ever pick-six," Mukuba said." Now that I know what it feels like, that's a feeling I want to have again. There's going to be a lot more."
If Mukuba can meet expectations, then the Eagles' defense will be in good hands. On Saturday and in college, he showed a talent for forcing teams into making turnovers. That is a trait that will lead to a lot of playing time at the pro level. Over the next few weeks, Mukuba will be a player to keep an eye on as the Eagles finalize their lineup and prepare to defend their title.